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principles:miller_s_law [2013-01-16 17:05] – created christianprinciples:miller_s_law [2021-10-18 21:48] (current) – +++ restored +++ christian
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 ====== Miller's Law ====== ====== Miller's Law ======
  
-~~REDIRECT>principles:More Is More Complex~~+===== 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 thisGeorge 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.1358352354.txt.gz · Last modified: 2013-05-20 12:46 (external edit)