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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
09:27
Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
Published on: October 13, 2018
Boundary-constrained chunking shapes local-global positional representations in working memory
Xingyu Yang1,2,3,4, Yao Wang1,2,3, Likan Zhan1,2,3
1Cognitive Science and Allied Health School, Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Memory (Hove, England)
|August 5, 2026
Summary
Chunking in working memory (WM) organizes sequences, but its positional structure varies. Stronger cues create separable local-global representations, while weaker cues lead to less organized formats.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Memory
Background:
- Working memory (WM) is crucial for processing sequential information.
- Chunking compresses information but its effect on positional representations is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how chunking influences the organization of positional information in WM.
- To determine if chunking creates stable local-global positional structures.
Main Methods:
- Four behavioral experiments involving encoding and recalling nine-item sequences.
- Utilizing parameterized behavioral representational similarity analysis on response distributions.
- Comparing sequence types with varying chunk-defining boundary strengths (linguistic, color-segmented, uniform).
Main Results:
- Structured linguistic sequences showed clear local-global positional separation (near-orthogonal geometry).
- Color-segmented sequences exhibited weaker organization, influenced by individual differences.
- Scrambled linguistic and uniform sequences lacked separable dimensions (1D solutions).
Conclusions:
- Chunking does not yield a uniform representational format in WM.
- Separable local-global structure is contingent on the source and strength of chunking cues.
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