Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Practice Examination

What is the typical capacity of short-term memory according to psychological research?

1. 3 (plus or minus) 1 bits of information

2. 7 (plus or minus) 2 bits of information

3. 10 (plus or minus) 3 bits of information

4. 5 (plus or minus) 5 bits of information

The correct answer is: 7 (plus or minus) 2 bits of information

The typical capacity of short-term memory is widely recognized to be 7 items, with a range of 2 items, which is often expressed as 7 (plus or minus 2) bits of information. This concept was popularized by psychologist George A. Miller in his seminal paper published in 1956, where he discussed the limits of information processing. This range suggests that individuals can typically hold between 5 to 9 items in their short-term memory simultaneously. This capacity has significant implications for how information is encoded, maintained, and retrieved in the mind, affecting learning, comprehension, and memory retention strategies. Understanding the limits of short-term memory can help counselors and educators develop effective teaching techniques that align with cognitive capacity, such as chunking information into smaller, manageable units to enhance retention and retrieval.