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Miller's Law

7±2 · Magical Number Seven Plus or Minus Two

The observation that the number of objects an average person can hold in working memory is about seven.

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Origin

Named for cognitive psychologist George A. Miller, who published 'The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two' in Psychological Review in 1956. The paper — one of the most cited in the history of psychology — emerged from Miller's work at Harvard and MIT during the early years of the cognitive revolution.

Updated February 22, 2026