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Animal Cognition and Sequential Behavior pp 23–55Cite as

The Comparative Psychology of Chunking

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Abstract

The ability to learn arbitrary sequences is crucial for intelligent action, both verbal and non-verbal. For more than a century, psychologists have investigated the organization of such sequences in experiments on the memorization of nonsense syllables (Ebbinghaus, 1964) and the mastery of various types of mazes (Small, 1900). The results of both types of experiment gave rise the classic theory that serially organized behavior can be represented as a linear sequence of associations.

Keywords

  • Journal ofExperimental Psychology
  • Animal Behavior Process
  • Serial Learning
  • Animal Cognition
  • Accuracy Criterion

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia University, USA

    H. S. Terrace

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Kent State University, USA

    Stephen B. Fountain, Michael D. Bunsey, Joseph H. Danks & Michael K. McBeath, ,  & 

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Terrace, H.S. (2002). The Comparative Psychology of Chunking. In: Fountain, S.B., Bunsey, M.D., Danks, J.H., McBeath, M.K. (eds) Animal Cognition and Sequential Behavior. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0821-2_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0821-2_2

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