What is the process called that involves grouping items together to improve short-term memory?

The process of grouping items together to enhance short-term memory is known as chunking. This cognitive strategy involves combining individual pieces of information into larger, more manageable units, or "chunks." For instance, rather than trying to remember a sequence of numbers like 1, 9, 9, 2, you could chunk them into 1992, which is a much easier and more memorable unit. This technique maximizes the limited capacity of short-term memory by reducing the number of individual items that need to be held simultaneously, thereby aiding retention and recall.

In contrast, cued recall refers to the retrieval of information from memory with the help of specific cues or prompts, rather than grouping items. Maintenance rehearsal is a method of keeping information in short-term memory through repetitive review, but does not involve the organization of information into chunks. Elaborative rehearsal involves connecting new information to existing knowledge or making it meaningful, which also differs from simply grouping items together. Therefore, chunking is the most effective strategy for improving short-term memory retention by simplifying the information to facilitate storage and recall.