Question

The capacity of short-term memory is approximately :

• A. Unlimited
• B. 2±1 items
• C. 7±2 items
• D. 20±5 items

Answer 1

Answer:

C. 7±2 items

• Miller's Law (1956): Cognitive psychologist George A. Miller published a landmark paper titled "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information", establishing that the capacity of human short-term memory (STM) is between 5 and 9 items (7 ± 2).

• Concept of Chunking: Miller introduced the concept of chunking, which involves grouping separate bits of information into larger, meaningful units (chunks) to dramatically increase the amount of information retained in short-term memory.

• Duration of Short-Term Memory: While the capacity is limited to $7 \pm 2$ chunks, information in STM typically decays within 18 to 30 seconds unless maintained through rehearsal.

• Information Processing Model: According to the Atkinson-Shiffrin model (1968), memory operates across three distinct stages: Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory (STM), and Long-Term Memory (LTM).

• Maintenance vs. Elaborative Rehearsal: Maintenance rehearsal keeps information active in STM through simple repetition, whereas elaborative rehearsal connects new data to existing knowledge to facilitate transfer into long-term memory.