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working memory

Chunking

Generally if short term memory tries to acquire more items than it can handle, the middle items will often be displaced. Chunking of information can lead to an increase in short term memory capacity. This is the reason why a hyphenated phone number is easier to remember than a single long number. Storage also seems to increase if we pronounce the names of the items out loud especially if they are grouped rhythmically.

Exercises

Try reading this sequence and then recall it:

I G B F D N C N U O A

Next, try the same exercise on these letters:

F I G N O D N U C A B

Chunking it into a word you can pronounce made the difference.

Try the same process with this list of numbers:

2 8 3 4 9 7

Next, try remembering this:

283 497

Instead of six numbers, you only need to recall two.



Another useful technique is to make chunks with the numbers in arithmetical order. It is even easier to remember:

234 789

It may also be easier to remember items that have personal meaning. For example, take this number series:

2 5 1 9 8 9 1 1 5 3 8 2

You identify the following meaningful numbers:

25 - your favorite player's shirt number

1989 - the year you were born

115 - Your street number.

You may be able to group together the following chunks:

25 1989 115 382

Chunking information this way means that 382 is the only unfamiliar chunk left to be memorized.