The Magical Number 7, Plus or Minus 2 | Learning Tip-George A. Miller | Flourish with Diane Planidin

You are going to love this! As part of my journey in understanding the world of psychology I came across a paper written in 1956 which explains why we remember certain things like phone numbers and identification numbers that are grouped in sevens, plus or minus two. Then we go on the journey of noticing the number 7 throughout history and in everyday occurrences. There is psychology behind the number 7 that not only will attract your attention, but help you in learning.

In his paper, George Miller says: "I shall begin my case history by telling you about some experiments that tested how accurately people can assign numbers to the magnitudes of various aspects of a stimulus. In the traditional language of psychology these would be called experiments in absolute judgment. Historical accident, however, has decreed that they should have another name. We now call them experiments on the capacity of people to transmit information. Since these experiments would not have been done without the appearance of information theory on the psychological scene, and since the results are analyzed in terms of the concepts of information theory, I shall have to preface my discussion with a few remarks about this theory. "

Sounds like too much information? Well the paper ends with the exciting revelation that since the beginning of time, the number 7 has been magic, plus or minus two.

"And finally, what about the magical number seven? What about the seven wonders of the world, the seven seas, the seven deadly sins, the seven daughters of Atlas in the Pleiades, the seven ages of man, the seven levels of hell, the seven primary colors, the seven notes of the musical scale, and the seven days of the week? What about the seven-point rating scale, the seven categories for absolute judgment, the seven objects in the span of attention, and the seven digits in the span of immediate memory? For the present I propose to withhold judgment. Perhaps there is something deep and profound behind all these sevens, something just calling out for us to discover it. But I suspect that it is only a pernicious, Pythagorean coincidence."

I give my own examples of the number 7 as seen through history in books and film. After I finished this episode I started thinking about the Seven pools on the Hawaiian island in Maui, and other places.

Share in the comments below where you have seen the number 7, plus or minus 2 throughout history and in everyday life. If you like the show, share it with someone you know that wants to live an inspired life!

 

#memory #lawsofUX #psychology #Flourish