Final answer:
Short-term memory is the temporary storage of a limited amount of information. George Miller researched the capacity of short-term memory and found it to be approximately 7 plus or minus 2 items. Chunking and maintenance rehearsal are strategies used to organize and retain information in short-term memory.
Step-by-step explanation:
Short-term memory refers to the temporary storage of information that can hold a limited amount of items for a short period of time. It plays a crucial role in various cognitive processes including problem-solving and language comprehension. George Miller conducted research on the capacity of short-term memory and found that it can hold approximately 7 plus or minus 2 items.
Chunking is a strategy used to organize information into manageable chunks or bits. It involves grouping related items together, such as remembering a phone number as separate chunks of digits. This helps in increasing the capacity and efficiency of short-term memory.
Maintenance rehearsal is a strategy used to keep information in short-term memory through repeated repetition or rehearsal. It involves repeatedly reciting or thinking about the information in order to enhance its retention. For example, mentally rehearsing a new phone number to remember it.