Which technique is best for remembering a long list of items?

Chunking information into smaller groups is an effective technique for remembering a long list of items because it helps to reduce cognitive load and makes the information more manageable. This method enables you to organize data into meaningful units or “chunks,” such as grouping items by category or theme. By doing so, you can take advantage of your brain's natural ability to remember patterns and relationships within the information.

For instance, if you have to remember a grocery list that includes apples, bananas, chicken, and rice, chunking would allow you to group the fruits together and the proteins and grains together. This way, instead of remembering each item individually, you’re recalling two chunks: fruits and proteins/grains. This significantly enhances memory retention and recall.

In contrast, techniques like repetitive reading may not actively engage your memory, listening to music can often distract from focusing on the material, and highlighting key points is primarily beneficial for emphasis rather than for memorization of longer lists. Chunking not only aids in retention but also helps to improve overall understanding of the relationships between items.