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Processing capacity limits are not explained by storage limits

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2001

Graeme S. Halford
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, [email protected] www.psy.uq.edu.au/gshm
Steven Phillips
Affiliation:
Information Science Division, Electrotechnical Laboratory, Tsukuba 305, [email protected] www.etl.go.jp/etl/ninehi/[email protected]/welcome.html
William H. Wilson
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, [email protected] www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~billw

Abstract

Cowan's review shows that a short-term memory limit of four items is consistent with a wide range of phenomena in the field. However, he does not explain that limit, whereas an existing theory does offer an explanation for capacity limitations. Furthermore, processing capacity limits cannot be reduced to storage limits as Cowan claims.

Type
Brief Report
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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