Short-Term Memory Capacity

Definition

Short-term memory capacity refers to the limited amount of information that can be temporarily held and actively processed in conscious awareness. It has a finite duration (about 20 seconds) unless rehearsed or transferred to long-term memory.

Related terms

Working Memory: Working memory is a cognitive system that temporarily holds and manipulates information needed for complex cognitive tasks.

Chunking: Chunking is a strategy where individual pieces of information are combined into larger units or chunks to increase the capacity of short-term memory.

Serial Position Effect: The serial position effect refers to the tendency to remember items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list better than items in the middle.