In the 1950s, George Miller estimated the capacity of short-term memory to be the magical number:
A) 11, plus or minus 1.
B) 5, plus or minus 4.
C) 9, plus or minus 3.
D) 7, plus or minus 2.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

George Miller estimated the capacity of short-term memory to be 7, plus or minus 2. This means that individuals can hold between 5 to 9 items in their short-term memory at any given time, with the most common estimate being 7 items. Option A is a common misconception and was actually a misinterpretation of Miller's research. Option B is too broad and Option C is too specific.

In the 1950s, George Miller Estimated the Capacity of Short-Term