User Tools

Site Tools


principles:miller_s_law

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

Both sides previous revisionPrevious revision
Next revision
Previous revision
Next revisionBoth sides next revision
principles:miller_s_law [2013-01-16 18:32] – deleted christianprinciples:miller_s_law [2013-06-22 20:43] christian
Line 1: Line 1:
 +====== Miller's Law ======
  
 +===== Variants and Alternative Names =====
 +
 +
 +===== Context =====
 +/* fill in contexts here: */
 +  * [[contexts:User Interface Design]]
 +===== Principle Statement =====
 +
 +Any list should not contain more than 7±2 items.
 +
 +
 +===== Description =====
 +
 +Lists such as items in the main menu of a program or bullets on a presentation slide should be limited to 7±2 items.
 +
 +
 +===== Rationale =====
 +
 +The human short-term memory is limited. Research shows that one can remember 7±2 chunks of information.
 +
 +
 +===== Strategies =====
 +
 +  * Divide a long list into sub-lists adhering to the rule.
 +
 +
 +===== Caveats =====
 +
 +Note that this principle is questioned.
 +
 +See also section [[#contrary principles]].
 +
 +
 +===== Origin =====
 +
 +  * The original source for 7±2 is this: George A. Miller: //[[http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/peterson/psy430s2001/Miller%20GA%20Magical%20Seven%20Psych%20Review%201955.pdf|The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information]]//
 +  * How this became a design rule is unknown.
 +
 +
 +===== Evidence =====
 +/* Comment out what is not applicable and explain the rest: */
 +/*  * [[wiki:Proposed]]*/
 +
 +  * [[wiki:Examined]]: There is scientific research concerning the short-term memory((George A. Miller: //[[http://www.psych.utoronto.ca/users/peterson/psy430s2001/Miller%20GA%20Magical%20Seven%20Psych%20Review%201955.pdf|The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two: Some Limits on Our Capacity for Processing Information]]//)). But this does not apply to any aspect of design directly.
 +  * [[wiki:Accepted]]: The principle is widely stated as a (user interface) design rule.
 +  * :!: [[wiki:Questioned]] :!:: It is highly doubtful to directly making a limit for memorizing digits to a generally applicable design rule. There is no evidence suggesting a rule that a list should not be longer then 7±2 items(([[http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0000U6&topic_id=1|The magical number seven, plus or minus two: Not relevant for design]])).
 +
 +
 +===== Relations to Other Principles =====
 +
 +==== Generalizations ====
 +
 +==== Specializations ====
 +
 +==== Contrary Principles ====
 +
 +==== Complementary Principles ====
 +
 +  * [[More Is More Complex]]: This is a proposed design rule, which is not directly affected by the criticism of Miller's Law.
 +
 +==== Principle Collections ====
 +
 +
 +===== Examples =====
 +
 +
 +===== Description Status =====
 +/* Choose one of the following and comment out the rest: */
 +[[wiki:Stub]]
 +/*[[wiki:Incomplete]]*/
 +/*[[wiki:Complete]]*/
 +
 +===== Further Reading =====
 +
 +  * [[wp>The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two]] 
 +  * [[wiki>SevenPlusOrMinusTwo]] 
 +  * [[wiki>SevenPlusOrMinusTwoDiscussion]] 
 +  * Derek M. Jones: //[[http://www.knosof.co.uk/cbook/misart.pdf|The 7±2 Urban Legend]]// 
 +
 +===== Discussion =====
 +
 +Discuss this wiki article and the principle on the corresponding [[talk:principles:Miller's Law|talk page]].
principles/miller_s_law.txt · Last modified: 2021-10-18 21:48 by christian