Chunking Psychology Definition

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines chunking as the process by which the brain divides significant details into smaller units (chunks), making them easier to retain in short-term memory. In education and psychology, a chunking strategy is a way to bind together pieces of information, making them easier to understand and remember. 

In psychology, a chunk is defined as a group of similar units or pieces of information combined into one. Learning to chunk your memory may help you improve your cognitive ability, short-term memory, and school or work performance.

What is chunking in psychology?

Psychologists teach clients how to retrain their behavior, thoughts, emotions, and feelings when using psychological modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. Chunking psychology can make it easier to absorb and remember information.

Why chunking works in the brain

Chunking is more than memorization. Chunking information works because it aligns with how the brain is designed to learn and retain information.

Short-term memory and working memory capacity

Your memory capacity includes the recency effect and span (or duration). The recency effect means you may more readily recall the last items of detail in a list before the middle ones. Span or duration refers to how long you can retain that information in your memory before it disappears. 

For many people, the span lasts 15 to 30 seconds on average. You can use shortcuts and tricks to store more information for a longer period, such as repeating the details aloud (acoustic encoding) or chunking them to reduce the number of items to recall.

Research on short-term memory capacity suggests that most people can remember only a handful of unrelated items at once. This limit may also apply to working memory capacity, a part of short-term memory used to store details that can be actively used in daily tasks. By grouping items into meaningful clusters, chunking allows more content to fit within this tight window, effectively stretching immediate memory beyond its natural ceiling.

Capacity for processing information

Chunking can also expand our capacity for processing information. When the brain recognizes information as a familiar chunk, it may take less effort to process it. As a result, even when we are presented with large amounts of data, we can process all the items more efficiently since we’re working with organized patterns of chunks rather than isolated fragments of information.

George Miller and the “magical number”

Some of the most influential research in experimental psychology about memory was published by psychologist George Miller. Miller’s paper,  "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information," appeared in the Psychological Review in 1956 and introduced the idea that human memory has a measurable upper limit.

Magical number seven plus or minus two

In his paper, Miller’s central claim concerned the magic number seven (or, more specifically, seven plus or minus two). He proposed that most people can hold between five and nine chunks of information in their immediate memory, suggesting that memory capacity wasn’t random but followed a quantifiable pattern.

What subsequent studies found

Miller’s research didn’t go unchallenged, and subsequent studies suggest that memory capacity may be less than Miller's magic number. For example, in a recent study published in the British Journal of Psychology, researchers acknowledged that the magic number may be about four chunks.

Chunk size and prior knowledge

Not all chunks are the same size. In fact, chunk size can vary from person to person. One factor that may contribute to chunk size is prior knowledge. Prior knowledge may reshape how the brain perceives a single unit or chunk. For example, for most people learning something new, the pieces can all register as separate items, each occupying a spot in their memory. For someone with prior knowledge or experience, though, single pieces of information can easily fuse together into larger chunks.

Examples of chunking in everyday life

Below are a few examples of how chunking is used in different areas of life.

Numbers, letters, and sequences

• One way to learn phone numbers is to divide them into chunks. For example, to remember the number 3124459900, you might separate the digits into chunks with dashes, using the same sequence typically used for phone numbers: 312-445-9900.
• To remember credit card numbers, rather than trying to remember one long string, you can divide it into four sets of four.
• To learn how to spell longer words, divide them into smaller chunks. For example, to spell “construction,” you might break it into parts: con-struc-tion.

Remembering items, lists, and tasks

• To remember items on a grocery list, you might use small groups that start with the same letter, then add other items using the first letters in alphabetical order. For example, the following may be more easily remembered than a list of seemingly random items: apples, bananas, bread, butter, milk, potatoes, rice.
• Instead of using a password of random letters and symbols, string several easy-to-remember but unrelated words together, like “brown-cloud-battery-foot.”
• Using acronyms so you can recall a single chunk instead of separate items; for example, ROY G BIV for the colors of the rainbow or HOMES for the Great Lakes.

Chunking strategy for studying and skills

• Break down complex skills, like learning to play the guitar, into smaller steps, such as learning individual chords before trying to play a song.
• When taking notes, organize information under broad headings and categories to help build associations.
• To learn to draw, start with basic shapes, shading, and proportion before focusing on overall composition.

Chunking in therapy and performance

• In cognitive behavioral therapy, one chunking technique may be to break overwhelming problems into smaller, manageable parts to reduce anxiety.
• For those who are coping with trauma, one approach used in treatment may be to work on processing one memory or episode at a time.
• When setting goals, break them down into chunks and tackle them one step at a time.

Limits and downsides of chunking

Chunking can be a powerful tool, but it isn’t always the best tool to use. It can be important to know when to use it and when other cognitive skills may be more appropriate.

When chunking does not help

Chunking relies on the brain recognizing meaningful connections between information, but when these connections don’t yet exist, chunking may have limited use. To ensure efficient, accurate memory, we may still need to focus on individual pieces.

While chunking can group items together to allow us to access information more efficiently, we may not recall all items within a chunk equally well. There may also be limits to our capacity that chunking cannot overcome. Chunking can help with memory, but there are limits on how many chunks our brains can hold.

Counseling options 

You might benefit from meeting with a psychotherapist if you're interested in trying chunking techniques or learning other coping mechanisms to function with daily challenges. Many clients enjoy the flexibility of online psychotherapy options, which offer you the option to choose between phone, video, or live chat sessions with your licensed psychotherapist. 

Online therapy

Recent research points to online platforms as valuable alternatives to in-person counseling for providing CBT and other forms of therapy. For example, one study found that internet-based CBT was effective in treating depression, panic, and anxiety disorders. Mental health professionals can utilize online psychotherapy platforms to guide those seeking treatment through a CBT treatment plan, including counseling sessions, interactive exercises, and worksheets. 

Online psychotherapy may be helpful if you are living with a mental health condition interfering with your quality of life. With online psychotherapy through a platform like BetterHelp, you don't have to wait weeks or months for an appointment. In addition, you can message your psychotherapist at any time and receive a response when they are available.