Posted on 07/12/2007 9:27:19 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick
WASHINGTON: Psychologists that the University of Oregon say that the capacity of short-term memory is a strong predictor of an individual's IQ level and scholastic achievement.
A study conducted by them has shown that an average person can think only about four items at a time, but people with high IQ levels can remember more articles.
Professor Edward Awh and Professor Edward Vogel of the university conducted laboratory experiments to test their hypothesis that the memory capacity might be influenced by the complexity of items being stored, something that might cause a four-item limit for most people.
The study showed that even when very complex objects had to be remembered, the participants who ranged in age from 18 to 30 years still were able to hold four items in active memory. However, the clarity of those items was not perfect, points out Professor Awh.
It was also found that some people had much clearer memories than others.
"While it seems reasonable that people who think about more things at once might also have clearer memories than average, we found that this assumption was not the case," Professor Vogel said.
Professor Awh, the lead author of the study published in the journal Psychological Science, also says that the same people who can remember a lot of objects at one time do not necessarily have clearer memories of those objects.
"Knowing the number of things a person can remember tells you nothing about how clear a person’s memory may be," said Professor Awh.
"So even though people with high IQs can think about more things at once, there are not guarantees about how good those memories might be," the researcher added.
If I recall my Junior year Psychology class, this is called “chunking”, where the mind groups and retains information in bits of four or five.
People have it bass-ackwards: People say they're younger than they really are, but they should be saying they're older than they really are. Then, they get compliments about how good they look...you'll never get that if you're trying to pass yourself off as younger than you really are.
I tell people I'm dumber than a box o' rocks.
LOL
I have 5 things to say about this:
1) It’s stupid
2) It’s lame
3) The study was a waste of time
4) The study underestimates the human capacity to retain facts
5) .......um .... hmmmm.....ah, never mind.
1. SEX
2. Sports
3. Food
4. Sleep
*chuckle*
That sort of validates my observation over time that fans of Science Fiction tend to have above average IQs.
My ex was extremely clever, but dumb as a box of hammers. But she was a neat OC and she thought Scifi is a total waste of time.
“90% of this game is half mental”
Here’s a thought. Until Jimi Hendrix Experience and Creem emerged in or about 1966, rock bands had a minimum of four members, and almost always two guitar players, or a guitar player and a keyboard player. Then the three man bands came, and now two man bands (White Stripes, the Black Keys.) What does it say about the listeners?
Who can remember the names of the six original Rolling Stones? Who was the 7th man in the early lineup?
The Stones were never as good after Brian Jones died.
What if the participant are hungover?
Heck, I do that and I only have 2.... one of each gender!
I think he said, "90% of the game is mental. The other half is physical."
LOL.
I was told that you lose half of your mind with each pregnancy. I have four children and I couldn’t always disagree if that helps.
but you forgot Stu Sutcliffe :^)
Beer, pizza, sex, nascar. Sounds fine to me.
Somebody’s been reading the memory game in “Kim,” and decided to put it to the test.
Total nonsense, coming from Pop Psychology magazine. The ability to remember nonsense words or random numbers has no correlation at all with intelligence.
“cat” “thermometer” “cloud” “light switch”. 4 unrelated words. Can you remember them? If so, or if not, it has no connection with your intelligence.
Yep. Four things.
Since this was done at the University of Oregon, you have to replace one of the 'sex's with 'pot' to have an accurate account of this research's findings...
bump
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