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Four is the 'magic number', not seven

Four, not seven, is the “magic number” when it comes to items of information the mind can cope with before confusion sets in.

 A new analysis by a leading Australian psychiatrist challenges the long-held view of psychological lore of seven being the number, suggesting it might actually be four.

In 1956, American psychologist George Miller published a study in the influential journal Psychological Review arguing the mind could cope with a maximum of only seven chunks of information.

The study paper, “The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two. (more…)