How is a 'chunk' defined in the context of the Episodic Buffer?

• A. A long sequence of digits encoded by meaning.
• B. A meaningful unit that can be a single item or a group bound into one representation.
• C. A visual pattern recognized by the VSSP.
• D. A fragment of a long-term memory.

Answer: (B)

In the Episodic Buffer, a chunk is a meaningful unit of information that can be a single item or several items bound together into one representation. The EB binds inputs from different memory stores—phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, and long-term memory—into a single, coherent episodic memory. This binding into chunks lets you hold more complex information as a compact unit, typically around four chunks at a time. A chunk isn’t limited to digits or a visual pattern, and it isn’t just a fragment from long-term memory; it’s the bound, meaningful whole that the EB maintains as one unit in working memory.