The elaborate rehearsal method is a more effective study method compared to the maintenance method. Elaborate rehearsal involves actively engaging with the material by making connections, organizing information, and relating it to prior knowledge. This method promotes deeper understanding and encoding of the information into long-term memory. On the other hand, maintenance rehearsal simply involves repeating the information without any meaningful processing, which leads to shallow encoding and limited retention. Therefore, the elaborate rehearsal method is preferred for effective studying and better retention of information.