US High School Psychology Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

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Question: 1 / 400

George Miller's classic research showed that the average capacity of short-term memory is between _________ units of information.

3 and 5

5 and 7

5 and 9

George Miller's research famously concluded that the average capacity of short-term memory is approximately between 5 and 9 units of information. This finding is often referred to as "Miller's Law," which suggests that people can hold about seven (plus or minus two) items in their short-term memory at once. This range reflects the limitations of our cognitive processing, particularly when it comes to holding discrete pieces of information actively in our minds for short periods. The specificity of this range emphasizes the cognitive boundaries and patterns in human memory capacity, demonstrating that while individuals can often remember more than five items in some cases, the upper limit hovers around nine for most people under typical conditions. This foundational concept in psychology highlights the structure and function of memory systems in cognitive processing.

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7 and 10

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