Chunking refers to the process of taking individual pieces of information and grouping them into larger units. By grouping each data point into a larger whole, you can improve the amount of information you can remember. Probably the most common example of chunking occurs in phone numbers. For example, a phone number sequence of 4-7-1-1-3-2-4 would be chunked into 471-1324.
Why Chunking Works
By separating disparate individual elements into larger blocks, information becomes easier to retain and recall. This is due mainly to how limited our短期记忆can be. While some research suggests people are capable of storing between five and nine units of information, more recent research posits that short-term memory has a capacity for about four chunks of information.
根据神经科学家Daniel Bor,作者贪婪的大脑,块是我们“破解”我们的限制的能力记忆。Bor argues that our natural tendency to see patterns and make connections is not just important for memory, but that it is also the source of创造力。由于史蒂夫乔布斯曾经有名,“创造力只是连接事情。”
块允许人们采取较小的信息,并将它们与更有意义的信息相结合,因此更令人难忘的惠士。
How to Use Chunking
The next time you are trying to remember items from a list, start by forming them into groups. If you are working with a list of vocabulary words, for example, you might create small groups of words that are similar or related to one another. A shopping list might be broken down into smaller grouping based on whether the items on the list are vegetables, fruits, dairy, or grains.
块可以用作日常内存增强器,但研究人员还发现,您可以提高您有效块信息的能力。
Bor relates the story of one participant in a memory experiment who challenged himself to improve the number of items he could remember. While he was initially able to remember seven items, he increased this to 80 units of information over the course of 20 months. He devoted an hour a day, approximately four days a week to this task.
虽然你可能无法投入这种强烈的集中度improving your memory,有些事情可以做到最好,以充分利用您的大脑的自然倾向来寻求模式和集团信息。
Practice
Challenge yourself to remember a series of items, whether it’s your grocery list, vocabulary words, or important dates. As you become better at remembering larger chunks of information, challenge yourself to remember even more.
Look for Connections
在您正在创建分组时,请查看以有意义的方式相互关联单位的方法。物品的共同分享是什么?您可以将项目组合在一起,因为它们每个都用四个字母拼写,因为它们以相同的信件开始,或者因为它们共享了类似的目的。
Make Associations
Linking groups of items to things from your memory can also help make them more memorable. You might be more likely to remember that you need eggs, baking soda, and chocolate chips if you associate the items with the delicious cookies that your mother used to make.
Incorporate Other Memory Strategies
For example, you might use mnemonics as a way to chunk different units of information. If you are going to the grocery store and need bananas, eggs, nectarines, and tea, you can create a word out of the first letters of each item you need: BENT. Once you remember the keyword, you will then be better able to recall the items represented by each letter of the acronym.
A Word From Verywell
块是内存问题的所有方法,但它可以是内存改进库中的有效工具。通过定期练习块状方法并在您的学习习惯中将这种技术纳入,您可能会发现您能够记住更多。