minneframme

Minneframme is a theoretical construct in memory studies used to describe a frame-like structure that organizes episodic memories and guides their retrieval. Proponents describe it as a scaffold that integrates sensory details, temporal context, and emotional salience into coherent episodes, supporting rapid reconstruction of past events.

The term is a neologism with limited use and no single formal definition. It has appeared mainly in scholarly discussions and some Nordic and European cognitive science writings in the 21st century; usage varies between authors. It is generally treated as a metaphor for how memory traces are grouped and accessed, rather than as a distinct physiological subsystem.

Conceptually, minneframme is intended to operate alongside established memory systems, particularly the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. It is positioned as a high-level organizer that provides contextual cues and narrative structure during encoding and retrieval, helping to bind disparate sensory inputs into a remembered episode. In research terms, it functions as an explanatory model rather than an empirically verified mechanism.

Reception is mixed. Critics argue that as a metaphor it risks overlapping with existing concepts such as schemas and retrieval cues, and warn that without precise operational definitions the term offers limited testability. Proponents suggest that the idea can aid in communicating complex memory processes and in designing educational or therapeutic approaches that emphasize contextual framing.

Related concepts include episodic memory, schemas, retrieval cues, and memory consolidation.