Chunking

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Chunking is a term used in NLP to describe the process of grouping items into larger or smaller groups (or "chunks")

Chunking helps you to organise your thinking, and handle information.

George Miller published a paper in 1952 "the magic number Seven, plus or minus two" put forward the idea that the conscious can cope with between 5 and 9 pieces of information at any one time. If you think how you remember those useful phone numbers, you cluster the digits into groups. If you look at phone numbers from a different country, it's often difficult to initially remember them because they tend to use a different chunking.

Chunking allows us to become more efficient at categorising information. Items can be classified into different groups moving from the general to the specific, and vice versa.

Chunking Up (becoming more general)

As an example with an object;

• Alcohol
• Drink
• Liquid

To chunk up from;	ask
part to whole	what is this part of?
example to class	what class is this an example of?
an outcome	If I got this outcome, what else would that get for me?
a behaviour	What is the intention behind this behaviour?

Chunking Down (becoming more specific)

As an example

• Transport
• Taxi
• London Black Cab
• Engine

To chunk down from;	ask
part to whole	what is a part of this whole?
class to example	what is an example of this class?
an outcome	What prevents me achieving this outcome ?
a behaviour	What other behaviour would also satisfy this intention?

When to use Chunking.

When you are confronted with a task that seems daunting. Chunk it down to find smaller, more manageable mini-tasks.

When you are overwhelmed by details. Chunk up to find the overall meaning or purpose to "get the bug picture" or "see the wood for the trees"

When you want to communicate more effectively. Make sure you package the information in chunks that are the right size for your audience.

When you want to find ways of reaching an agreement

See Also Backwards Forwards Planning