Henry L. Roediger III
Henry L. Roediger III is a pioneering cognitive scientist, professor and author best known for his research and insight into the nature of expertise, human learning and memory, cognitive illusions and problem solving. Roediger is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, where he has also served as the Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience.
Roediger’s research draws from cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and behavioral genetics to examine how and why people think, behave, and process memories. He has made significant contributions to the fields of human learning and memory, expertise and problem solving, cognitive illusions, and the “testing effect," a psychologically-induced phenomenon in which people better remember material that they have practiced repeatedly compared to material that they have read or heard.
Roediger has authored or co-authored over 300 scientific papers and reviews, as well as eight books and edited volumes. All of these works come to an accessible and concise dialogue on the topics at hand, especially in his two most acclaimed books - The Crafting of Memory, first published in 1991 and later revised in 2007, and Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, co-written with Peter C. Brown in 2014.
The Crafting of Memory deconstructs memory to uncover the influences of contemporary research and draws from varieties of sources from personal experience to examples from neuroscience and philosophy. The first edition provided an overview of the most important findings of the time regarding the nature of memory, and this view was revised and expanded in the second edition to include more recent research.
In Make It Stick, Roediger and Brown translated the latest scientific findings on successful learning and intentioned practice into concrete strategies for improving performance at work and in education. The book is an accessible guide to meaningful learning and efficient practice, outlining particularly effective practices such as space repetitions, interleaving and retrieval practice. Examining a wide range of cases and problems, Roediger and Brown provide a wealth of insights on how to learn and remember information in a more efficient way.
In addition to his work on memory, Roediger is particularly known in the field of cognitive illusions, the idea that there are strategically placed and naturally occurring mistakes in how people process and understand information. Through his book, The Unintuitive World of Cognitive Illusions, Roediger provides an intelligent and thorough discussion on the various illusions, how they occur and how they relate to larger issues of cognition and decision making.
In addition to United States selections, Roediger’s books have been translated for use in Germany, Russia, Croatia, Japan and Brazil. They have been lauded for their insights, depth and readability by distinguished individuals such as Nobel Prize winners Herbert A. Simon and Daniel Kahneman.
Since his appointment at Washington University in 1993, Roediger has received numerous accolades, including the Distinguished Scientific Awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Education. In recognition of his extraordinary achievements, Roediger was inducted into North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity in 2019.
Throughout his career, Roediger has consistently pushed the boundaries of his fields, inspiring those around him to think more critically, create more thoughtful solutions and challenge convention. As a professor and author, he has significantly furthered the understanding of the stories of our minds, offering a way of making more sense of our memory and decision making.
