RE: The Myth of Seven, Plus or Minus Two

["Nagai, Paul" <pnagai -at- inovant -dot- com>]

> I believe studies were done in the eighties to find the optimal balance
> between depth (how many forms deep?) and breadth (how many items per 
> form?) in menu structures; 

This is practical human factors (is that term out of favor now?) web/link/menu design research:
http://www.research.microsoft.com/users/marycz/chi981.htm


They mention Miller's principle of 7+/-2, but properly differentiate between his definition of short term memory (a "physical" set of "registers" hard-wired in the brain, sense organs, and transducers between them) and the popular/vernacular web/menu definition: "what I can scan, comprehend, and retain until I click."

Contrary to popular belief, Miller never wrote about "mid-term" memory: The amount you can cram into your brain Sunday night, regurgitate onto your Monday morning exam, and have completely forgotten by lunch.

------
Paul Nagai

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