In an experimental procedure, participants hear a sequence of letters and then, a moment later, are required to repeat back the sequence. The longest sequence for which participants can easily do this is likely to contain approximately ________ letters.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The capacity of short-term memory is generally believed to be around 7 items (plus or minus 2). This is known as Miller's Law, and it suggests that people can only hold around 7 pieces of information in their short-term memory at once. Therefore, participants are likely to be able to easily repeat back a sequence of approximately 7 letters.

In an Experimental Procedure, Participants Hear a Sequence of Letters