Question

If I gave someone the following list of digits 12278369184335, which ones are they likely to have trouble remembering 30 seconds later?

a) 1, 2, 3
b) 8, 9, 4
c) 7, 6, 5
d) 3, 5, 5

Answer 1

Short-term memory has a limited capacity of around 7 plus or minus 2 items. So, it would be easier for someone to remember smaller chunks of numbers rather than the entire list of digits. The correct answer is b) 8, 9, 4.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering which digits from the list 12278369184335 a person is likely to have trouble remembering after 30 seconds, we must take into account the capacity of short-term memory. Psychological studies, such as those by George Miller and more contemporary research by Cowan, suggest that short-term memory holds approximately 7 ± 2 items or 4 ± 1 items, respectively.

The difficulty in remembering a specific sequence of numbers will depend on individual memory capacity and the strategies they use.

According to research, people tend to remember numbers better than letters and acoustic encoding often works better than visual encoding. Using strategies like chunking to group information into manageable bits may enhance one's ability to recall numbers.

Short-term memory has a limited capacity, typically around 7 plus or minus 2 items. So, if someone is given a list of digits like 12278369184335, they are likely to have trouble remembering all of them after 30 seconds. It would be easier for them to remember smaller chunks of numbers, such as the digits in option b) 8, 9, 4.