Question

question 3

remembering ones social security number by grouping the numbers into three segments is an example of ______.

• echoic storage
• semantics
• recoding
• chunking

Explanation:

Analyze the question prompt

The question asks to identify the cognitive strategy of grouping a long string of numbers (like a Social Security number) into three smaller segments to make them easier to remember.

Define the core concepts

Using the Short-term Memory and Information Processing Model knowledge points, we analyze how information is maintained in working memory. Short-term memory has a limited capacity of about \(7 \pm 2\) items. To bypass this limitation, individual pieces of information can be grouped into larger, meaningful units.

Evaluate the given options

• Echoic storage: Refers to the ultra-short-term sensory memory for auditory stimuli. This does not describe grouping numbers.
• Semantics: Refers to the study of meaning in language, which is unrelated to numerical grouping strategies.
• Recoding: A broad term for reorganizing information, but not the specific, standard psychological term for grouping items to expand short-term memory capacity.
• Chunking: The specific cognitive process of taking individual pieces of information and grouping them into larger, cohesive units (chunks) to improve retention. Grouping a 9-digit Social Security number into three segments (e.g., AAA-BB-CCCC) is a classic example of chunking.

Select the correct option

Based on the analysis, the correct term for grouping the numbers into segments is chunking.

Answer:

• (A) Echoic storage
• (B) Semantics
• (C) Recoding
• (D) Chunking (Correct answer)