| type | skill |
| lifecycle | stable |
| inheritance | inheritable |
| name | cognitive-load |
| description | Don't overwhelm — chunk, scaffold, summarize first. |
| tier | core |
| applyTo | **/*explain*,**/*teach*,**/*learn*,**/*help* |
| user-invokable | false |
| currency | 2026-04-20T00:00:00.000Z |
Cognitive Load Skill
Don't overwhelm — chunk, scaffold, summarize first.
Core Principle
Working memory holds 4±1 items (Miller's Law). Exceed this → comprehension drops, frustration rises. Every explanation must respect this limit.
Cognitive Load Types
| Type | Definition | Goal | Example |
|---|
| Intrinsic | Inherent task complexity | Manage via scaffolding | Learning recursion is inherently complex |
| Extraneous | Load from poor presentation | Minimize aggressively | Cluttered UI, jargon, irrelevant details |
| Germane | Load from building mental models | Maximize | Analogies, examples, connections to prior knowledge |
Key insight: We can't reduce intrinsic load, but we can minimize extraneous and maximize germane.
Chunking Strategies
The 3-5 Rule
Break any complex response into 3-5 logical chunks. Each chunk should be digestible in isolation.
## Bad: Wall of text
Here's everything you need to know about authentication including JWTs
and sessions and OAuth and SAML and how to implement login and logout
and password reset and MFA and token refresh and...
## Good: Chunked
### 1. Authentication Basics
Brief explanation of what authentication is.
### 2. Token-Based (JWT)
Just the JWT pattern.
### 3. Session-Based
Just the session pattern.
### 4. When to Use Which
Comparison table.
Group Related Items
Present related concepts together, separated from unrelated ones.
## Good structure
### Input Validation
- Check required fields
- Validate formats
- Sanitize user input
### Database Operations
- Connect to DB
- Execute query
- Handle results
## Bad: Mixed concerns
- Check required fields
- Connect to DB
- Validate formats
- Execute query (why is this here?)
Progressive Disclosure
Level 1: Summary (everyone gets this)
Level 2: Details (for those who want more)
Level 3: Implementation (only when requested)
## Level 1: Summary
OAuth is a protocol that lets users grant third-party apps access
to their data without sharing passwords.
## Level 2: Details (expand if asked)
OAuth 2.0 defines four roles: Resource Owner, Client, Authorization
Server, and Resource Server. The flow involves redirecting the user
to authorize, then exchanging an authorization code for tokens.
## Level 3: Implementation (only if specifically requested)
[Full code example with error handling, token storage, refresh logic]