Elaboratie

Elaboratie is the Dutch term for elaboration, describing the process of adding detail to a concept, statement, or plan to make it more complete, precise, or persuasive. The word is used across fields such as linguistics, education, psychology, and design, where the goal is to transform a rough idea into a more developed form.

In cognitive psychology, elaboratie refers to encoding strategies that enrich new information by linking it to existing knowledge. By creating meaningful associations, imagery, or organized structures, learners engage in deeper processing. This aligns with the levels-of-processing framework, which holds that semantic processing and elaborative encoding improve memory and understanding better than superficial rehearsal.

In education and learning, elaboratie is encouraged to improve retention and transfer. Techniques include relating new material to prior experiences, asking open-ended questions, explaining concepts to others, and generating examples. Such practices strengthen retrieval cues and promote flexible use of knowledge in new tasks.

In design, programming, and project planning, elaboratie denotes expanding a rough idea into a detailed specification. This involves outlining goals, requirements, timelines, resources, and criteria for success, helping to ensure feasibility and guide implementation before work proceeds.

Originating in Dutch from the French élaboration, elaboratie is widely used in academic and professional contexts. Its precise meaning varies by field, but the core idea remains the same: turning a basic concept into a more thorough, usable form through added detail and meaningful connections.