Chunking improves symbolic sequence processing and relies on working memory gating mechanisms
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Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Examining Online Syntactic Processing of Spoken Complex Sentences in Chinese Using Dual-Modal Interference Tasks
Published on: September 5, 2019
Oleg Solopchuk1, Andrea Alamia1, Etienne Olivier1
1Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium.
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.
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