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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 ,
Steven Phillips  and
William H. Wilson
Graeme S. Halford
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australiagsh@psy.uq.edu.au www.psy.uq.edu.au/gshm
Steven Phillips
Affiliation:
Information Science Division, Electrotechnical Laboratory, Tsukuba 305, Japanstevep@etl.go.jp www.etl.go.jp/etl/ninehi/stevep@etl.go.jp/welcome.html
William H. Wilson
Affiliation:
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australiabillw@cse.unsw.edu.au www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~billw
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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
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , February 2001 , pp. 123 - 124
Copyright
© 2001 Cambridge University Press

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