Trying to learn everything quickly and concisely has been challenging for many people. You might have tried to memorize lots of new information before.
But did you notice that it fades away so quickly from your mind? I did, too.
What could be worse than forgetting an important number, or the name of your boss? It’s the fact that your mind isn’t trained to retain lots of information.
And without good practice, you might suffer short-term memory loss. That’s already bad!
Fortunately, with the chunking memory strategy, you can unlock the best way to keep in mind everything you’ve learned.
And it comes in chunks! That’s right, chunks.
Read on to learn about this secret study method.
But first, let’s define chunking and how it works.
Table of Contents
What is the Chunking Memory Strategy?
The chunking definition in psychology, according to the APA Dictionary, is “the process by which the mind divides large pieces of information into smaller units (chunks) that are easier to retain in short-term memory”.
The chunking psychology definition is very accurate to what you’re going to know about as you continue reading.
Simply put, chunking refers to the grouping of similar ideas into their own categories. Then you can learn each category without cramming through the hard details.
The chunking memory strategy saves you more time than your usual study routine. It’s also the best tool when learning and memorizing small details.
In the chunking method, you’ll see how easy and light it will be for you to process what you’ve learned.
Now that you know what it is, how can you apply this studying strategy?
How to Use the Chunking Technique?
Although you might have done in some way a chunking reading strategy, or grouped a list of items, you still have some consistent practice in chunking.
In order to understand how this works, let’s use the grocery list as an example.
With that, here’s a list for you on how you can use the chunking technique in reading and learning.
1) Chunk the right task
What is chunking in reading is not the same as chunking in listing groceries. You can apply the same method for different tasks and they have different goals.
You should also understand that chunking is best for tasks that suit its use. Chunking is also suitably done in listing codes, numbers and acronyms.
In our example, we would chunk the grocery list by grouping it by item types (ex. Toiletries, condiments, soaps & detergents, snacks, drinks, etc.)
2) Check for consistencies
While you’re skimming through the details of the material you’re reading, make sure to check for consistent patterns and details.
You’ll be dividing them into smaller chunks so you can easily absorb them later. What is chunking in psychology if not for observing patterns anyway?
Going back to our grocery list example, you’ll notice that there are items that are related to each other. For instance, you can put the laundry detergent, body soap, facial scrub, and shampoo under the “Soaps & Detergents” list.
3) Relate it with one another
The chunk in psychology is defined as a small bit of information that you can recall and remind yourself of.
And by seeing the similar patterns between chunks helps your brain to remember it.
In the grocery list, you’ll notice how you grouped them are related to their common use. The “Snacks” list only contains the foods you eat in between meals.
And by just recognizing the word “Snacks”, you can recall all the items that are related to it.
4) Practice it often
Nothing comes perfect except through practice. By consistently chunking information, you’ll have an easier time remembering what you’ve learned.
Although chunking can happen unexpectedly, it’s good to be aware that you’re doing it. At that point, you can teach your brain to memorize short details, like phone numbers, passwords, and codes pretty easily.
In our example, when buying groceries on a regular basis, you’ll notice that under the same sections, there will be different items. You probably don’t buy soaps and shampoos very often, but you would buy more snacks, too.
5) Enhance
You’ll soon find yourself improving your chunking from time to time, whether it’s the amount of information you learn, or the number of times you are doing it in a day.
By keeping a good track of it using notes, you’ll see ways to improve your chunking.
One way to do this, in our given scenario, is keeping a record of previous grocery lists. This way you can check what you’re buying and how often you need them.
How Do You Use a Chunking Strategy to Improve Your Memory?
Once you understand what is chunking psychology, your memory can chunk your learning experience into something relatable to you.
An example of chunking in psychology is Miller’s Magic Number.
In 1956, Dr. George Miller observed that people can easily remember 5-9 pieces of information. It can be a 5-9 alphanumeric series, groups of data, or even names of people or objects.
Chunking examples in psychology include checking your valuables before leaving your house, or sorting through the grocery list, or checking your car’s performance.
Another chunking psychology example is remembering your social security number. You would chunk the numbers into 3-4 manageable sections that you can memorize.
It can be like, “123-456-789-010” or “1234-5678-9010”, and not “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10”. By repeating the series, your brain will interpret the pattern and remember it more often when needed.
Repetition trains your brain to improve information recall when needed.
What is the Basic Purpose of Chunking as a Memory Strategy?
The main reason why you should use chunking as a memory improvement strategy is to be aware that you’re improving your information retention.
Chunking in psychology may differ from chunking in education, but they share the same attributes and effects on the brain.
Chunking psychology focuses on how you’re improving what things to remember every day. Meanwhile, chunking education focuses on the information you learn from your courses, and how to easily remember concepts and ideas.
As an example, the way you remind yourself about the BLOWBAG car check routine (Battery, Lights, Oil, Water, Brakes, Air and Gas) is different from learning the periodic table of elements.
By a consistent, and sometimes unconscious, effort to be aware that chunking is a good learning strategy, remembering stuff will be easy peasy.
What is an Example of Chunking Memory Strategy?
Chunking as a memory strategy is one of the easiest ways to remember details and information. Examples of chunking would be abbreviating long names, memorizing hotlines, or planning a schedule.
Reading in chunks examples can be reading a book by dividing it into paragraphs and sections that are related to each other and highlighting the main points of a material.
You can also highlight sentences in your textbook. By doing this, you can manage to read the chapter at different times at different intervals. It allows your brain to absorb what you’ve read, and have time to rest.
Chunking memory examples, such as reading 3-4 words at a time, are good ways to know how you can dissect what you’re reading and learning. For one, learning a guitar tune, which is an example of the concept of chunking, is different from memorizing individual items on a grocery list.
What Are Learning Strategies for Chunking?
Each learning technique has their pros and cons. It’s also preferable to pick one for each kind of situation or material.
This comes in many forms, either by chunking words as a list. You may chunk the text into acronyms or phrases that’s easy to recall.
So, it’s best to choose one or two techniques that suit your learning experience.
Here are some of the methods that applies the chunking principle:
Acronyms or First Letters
Text chunking is also done by using acronyms or abbreviated first letters of words. You can use them to easily remember phrases and definitions. It might take some time before you make a catchy one, but it’s a really powerful strategy when done right.
Perhaps the most popular acronym is YOLO, which means “You Only Live Once.” It’s a double chunking method, where the word itself is made-up, and the idea it carries represents a longer statement.
Acronyms can also help you focus and remind you on simple tasks. An example of this is “CLAYGO”, which means “CLean As You Go.” Abbreviating phrases or words helps you to get back on track of your SOP, or “Standard Operating Procedure”, after a distraction.
Acrostics or Made Up Phrases
Acrostics are acronyms reverse-engineered. You can simply take a word and assign for each letter a word in your phrase.
For example, in medical terms, WIPE means “Wash your hands, Introduce yourself to the patient, Patient’s details, and Explain condition and ask patient’s consent”.
It can be difficult than acronyms, because with acrostics, you need to start from a word and give each letter a thought; while the former can be made-up words that represent a single idea.
Associated Concepts
Chunking in reading and associating ideas and concepts are mutually related. And by doing so, it makes remembering details and lists easier.
Let me give an example. Instead of remembering each ingredient for the grilled cheeseburger you’re planning to cook, you can just note it under the “Burger” list.
This way, it’ll save you a lot of effort, rather than trying to remember all the ingredients in one go. You’re also making an organized way of recalling items and details.
Related Numbers
You can recall a lot of numbers as information when needed. Not just in learning but also in daily living can you use this method of relating numbers for easy recall.
For example, bank account numbers are sometimes four digits grouped in fours, instead of just one straight 16-digit number. It proves Miller’s magic number to be true in this case.
In learning history, you could chunk historical dates together by relevance. An example would be remembering the important dates of the American Civil War, namely 1860, 1863, and 1865.
And if you do the math, the first two dates are 3 years apart from when Abraham Lincoln became the US President to the Battle of Gettysburg, which turned the tide of the war. And it was 2 years after that when Lincoln was assassinated.
Method of Loci
The meaning of chunking in psychology has expanded over the years. With that, the method of loci has been applied in different ways for a long time. But what is the method of loci?
Method of loci works by remembering specific information about a tangible object. This is done so you can easily recall what the object is for. It can be a word, idea or anything that you need to recall.
Let me give an example:
1) Have a visual picture of one object you need in one area.
2) You then imagine walking back through that same room.
3) See yourself that you’re picking up to set it down.
This method works best when memorizing steps in doing certain tasks, like driving a car, biking, cooking a recipe, or managing a cash register.
The method of loci is a technique that masters your sequential memory, or ability to remember based on steps.
Is the Method of “Chunking” an Efficient Way to Memorize Information?
To understand why the chunking memory strategy activity is an efficient way to memorize and recall information, you should first know who started this concept. Dr. George Miller suggested this in his 1956 book called The Magical Number Seven.
In his book, Miller concluded that the human brain can retain in his short-term memory 7 pieces of information at once. This means, anything more than that would overload you.
That’s why it was suggested in the study that chunking as a memory strategy will allow the brain to compress everything, but still have the main points under 7 points of data. No wonder we can memorize 10-digit numbers as we’ve chunked it along the way.
Take note that unless you have a photographic memory, you cannot learn large portions of information in one go. Our short-term memory can’t get a full grasp of it until we chunk it and absorb it.
The main principle in chunking is to start memorizing small bits. Absorb and learn a few parts of information first and in each bit, you learn its larger portion until you fully learn it.
Chunking Memory Strategy FAQs
What is Chunking Technique?
Chunking involves memorizing at least 7 points of information. This technique helps the brain to easily recall larger data included in each point. You can break it down into smaller parts and still learn the whole concept. This way you can retain information as quickly and easily as possible.
What is Chunking a Strategy for?
Chunking is a beneficial strategy for improving memory that involves dividing a concept or task into small bits of at least 7 points. You can also use mnemonic devices to help recall steps or info attached to the said device.
What is the Memory Strategy of Chunking?
The chunking strategy memory allows the brain to absorb small portions of material without sacrificing its concept or whole idea. The Magical Number Seven concluded that at least 7 points are easy to remember, while each point has an embedded in-depth information.
How to Teach Chunking Strategy for Memory?
Chunking information can be taught by emphasizing on the main points first, which are at maximum of 7 points or steps. You should elaborate on each point on why and how it matters. From there, you can continually remind others by recalling one of the 7 points.
How Chunking Pieces of Information Can Improve Memory?
Chunking parts of information into smaller parts eases recalling of important details. The acronym “CLAYGO”, which means “CLean As You Go” , reminds you quickly to keep your place clean. This is a good example of chunking in psychology that can improve your memory.
What Memory Encoding Strategy Uses Chunking?
The chunking strategy takes advantage of the short-term memory’s ability to quickly absorb information on a single glance. Through repetition and consistency, that same information will be embedded into your long-term memory. And later on, you can easily recall that subject matter whenever needed.
How Does Chunking Help Working Memory?
Chunking improves short-term memory by making your brain learn and remember small parts of information, until it sticks to your long-term memory. One way it can be done is through consistent and regular repetition. Plus, it’s easy to use and less stressful.
What to Do Next?
Chunking of information may not be a one-size-fits-all approach. But it’s definitely one of the best ways to remember details.
It’s a great tool to add in your study method. Also, chunking information can do so much in your life.
You can still enjoy chunking whether it’s in a psychological study, or simply learning something educational.
And one day, you’ll realize that you’ve been chunking everything all along.
How about you, what’s one of your best study aids aside from chunking? Let us know in the comments below!
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