Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M2328

Miller's Law

Miller's Law
Learn & MetacognitionHigh supportCognitive Psychology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

The capacity of human short-term memory (working memory) is extremely limited, capable of processing only about 7±2 chunks of information at a time. Once this number is exceeded, the error rate skyrockets.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

A limiting valve on information density. - Distinction: Unlike the 'Dunbar number' (social limit), this is the 'immediate memory limit'. - Why are phone numbers usually 7-8 digits? Why do good PPTs have no more than 7 lines per page? Because this is the hardware bottleneck of the brain. When reporting work or designing UI, if you give users 10 options, you are creating a cognitive disaster. Must

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The capacity of human short-term memory (working memory) is about 7±2 chunks, exceeding which significantly increases error rates, serving as a hardware limit on information density.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miller%27s_lawZH · Explicit
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