From George A. Miller (The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two, 1956), extended by William G. Chase and Herbert A. Simon (1973) and Nelson Cowan (2001).
Groups many details into a few labeled units, nested where needed, so whatever a reader or learner must hold at once fits in working memory.
When to reach for it
Material that confuses people even though each piece is clear, or a plan, deck, or course that asks an audience to hold more than it can.
How it runs
- Count the separate items the audience must hold.
- Find what the audience already knows that can group items.
- Group items into units of about four to seven.
- Give each unit a clear name.
- Nest units into larger units until the top level fits in mind.
Where it sits in SOLVE eX
- Any step: Tools that serve every step: habits of thought and checks on the thinking itself.
Go to the source
- The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two, Psychological Review, 1956
- Perception in Chess, Cognitive Psychology, 1973
- The Magical Number 4 in Short-Term Memory, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2001