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--- principles:miller_s_law [2013-01-16 17:05] – created christian
+++ principles:miller_s_law [2021-10-18 21:48] (current) – +++ restored +++ christian
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 ====== 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 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]].