Precursors to Chunking Vanish when Working Memory Capacity is Exceeded

¹Department of Psychology, State University of Humanities and Social Studies (SUHSS). Zelenaya str., 30, Kolomna-140410, Russia

²18-11 Radburn Road, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410, USA

*Corresponding author: Eugen Tarnow, 18-11 Radburn Road, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410, USA, Phone: +16462290787, E-mail: [email protected]

Received Date: May 22, 2025

Publication Date: June 17, 2025

Citation: Ershova R, et al. (2025). Precursors to Chunking Vanish when Working Memory Capacity is Exceeded. Neuro Research. 7(1):22.

Copyright: Ershova R, et al. © (2025).

ABSTRACT

Free recall of 500 Russian college students was measured using the Tarnow Unchunkable Test consisting of sets of 3 and 4 double digit items. The average working memory capacity is exceeded with four items. In the three item test, even though items were constructed to be unchunkable, there were asymmetric associations: recalling item N was more sensitive to whether item N-1 is recalled than the other way around.  These asymmetric associations are presumably precursors of learning. The asymmetric associations between items 1 and 2 and items 2 and 3 were similar. As the working memory capacity is exceeded in the four item test, the asymmetric association for the subject group halved from item 1 to item 2 (p=0.32) and disappeared completely from items 2 to 3 (large effect size: η2=0.79, p=0.001) and from items 3 to 4. This finding suggests that if asymmetric associations are precursors to learning, it may be important to not overload working memory during learning; this may be of importance for design of textbooks and other teaching tools. The symmetric associations allow us to separate out the importance of attention. These stays the same roughly the same with trial and with increases from 3 to 4 items and were a little larger than 0.3. This also suggests that attention, presumably extending over three TUT items, is not the major factor limiting the symmetric associations (if it were, the symmetric associations should be close to 1). The removal of asymmetric associations does not manifest itself in the output order: it is usually the same as the display order.  Thus asymmetric associations (“chaining order”) do not constitute memory for order.

Keywords: Memory Binding, Learning, Free Recall, Working Memory Capacity, Forward Associations