What is the primary purpose of elaborative rehearsal in memory improvement?

Elaborative rehearsal focuses on the creation of meaningful connections that tie new information to existing knowledge or memories. This technique enhances retention and recall by transforming superficial, rote memorization into a deeper understanding. When learners relate new concepts to what they already know, they create a richer network of associations in their memory, making it easier to retrieve the information later.

This contrasts with other methods such as simple repetition, which often results in surface-level learning without meaningful context. By instead contextualizing and associating new information with established knowledge, elaborative rehearsal enables stronger, more resilient memory formation, effectively aiding long-term retention.