Michael Sylvester asks:
>my usual explanation of Short term memory is the standard:
>it is a limited capacity system and last for about 30 seconds.
>The example of the limited capacity given is that of the 7 digit
>telephone number.
>I am getting tired of citing the telephone number as an example.
>What other examples of limited STM capacity do other tipsters give?
>Btw,I suspect with the telephone companies now thinking of going
>to a 10 digit telephone number,the 7 digit example may not be
>concurrently valid.
I have become aware through reading a book by Alan Baddeley (1993; _Your
memory: A user's guide_. London: Prion) that the common view that ST memory
holds about 7 items of information is not correct. Research on the related
concept of working memory suggests that it is the amount of information that
one can repeat subvocally (when the info to be remembered is verbal) in about
1.5 seconds that tends to be recalled from working memory. Often, the word
lists that we have students memorize in class demonstrations have one-syllable
words. In this case, they can recall about 7 items of info. If you use word
lists of two-syllable or higher words, they will recall fewer items of info.
I have to get to class, but see Baddeley's book, pages 52-54. Or perhaps the
cognitive psychologists on the list can fill in the answer for us.
Jeff Ricker
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale AZ
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
