The opportunity of spinel ferrites in nonvolatile memory device applications has been demonstrated by the resistive switching performance characteristics of a Pt/NiFe2O4/Pt structure, such as low operating voltage, high device yield, long retention time (up to 10(5) s), and good endurance (up to 2.2 x 10(4) cycles). The dominant conduction mechanisms are Ohmic conduction in the low-resistance state and in the lower-voltage region of the high-resistance state and Schottky emission in the higher-voltage region of the high-resistance state. On the basis of measurements of the temperature dependence of the resistances and magnetic properties in different resistance states, we explain the physical mechanism of resistive switching of Pt/NiFe2O4/Pt devices using the model of formation and rupture of conducting filaments by considering the thermal effect of oxygen vacancies and changes in the valences of cations due to the redox effect.