Many years ago,telephone numbers had only four or five digits.Even now,no more than seven digits are used for phone numbers.The most reasonable psychological explanation for this is that ________________.
A)there is a direct relationship between the number of items in the sensory registers and their retention
B)there is an inverse relationship between the number of items in the sensory registers and their retention
C)there is a direct relationship between the number of items in short-term memory and their retention
D)there is an inverse relationship between the number of items in short-term memory and their retention

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the theory of short-term memory capacity, individuals can typically only retain 5-9 items in their short-term memory at a time. This means that phone numbers with 4-7 digits are more likely to be remembered than longer numbers. Therefore, the most reasonable psychological explanation for using phone numbers with only four or five digits in the past and no more than seven digits currently is that phone companies have taken into account the limits of individuals' short-term memory capacity in order to make it easier for people to remember and recall phone numbers.

Many Years Ago,telephone Numbers Had Only Four or Five Digits