Chunking improves symbolic sequence processing and relies on working memory gating mechanisms
- Corresponding author: alexandre.zenon{at}uclouvain.be
Abstract
Chunking, namely the grouping of sequence elements in clusters, is ubiquitous during sequence processing, but its impact on performance remains debated. Here, we found that participants who adopted a consistent chunking strategy during symbolic sequence learning showed a greater improvement of their performance and a larger decrease in cognitive workload over time. Stronger reliance on chunking was also associated with higher scores in a WM updating task, suggesting the contribution of WM gating mechanisms to sequence chunking. Altogether, these results indicate that chunking is a cost-saving strategy that enhances effectiveness of symbolic sequence learning.
Footnotes
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[Supplemental material is available for this article.]
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Article is online at http://www.learnmem.org/cgi/doi/10.1101/lm.041277.115.
- Received December 2, 2015.
- Accepted December 18, 2015.
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