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 persons 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.
It remember to pick up some beer tonight on the way home doesn't matter crap - got a hangnail again how many that new admin assistant should either button her shirt or take the dang thing off things God that guy's ring tone is annoying you can what the heck does this button do? Oh, crap remember simultaneously isn't it break time yet? as long as hmm...FR's sure slow today you process them paperclip consumption report's due, boss? Yeah I'll get right on that really holy smoke - that's his wife, not his granddaughter? fast gotta pee.
At my age the only stream you can still pump out really fast is stream of consciousness...
That's why George Foreman named all of his kids George.
“70% of people believe they are above average intelligence.”
28.57% of those people are wrong.
exactly. Your math suggests you are not among the 28.75%
If you have 4 items on your mind and need a fifth the brains ability to swap info in and out is amazing.Quick thinkers just have a higher Page Fault rate.
Isn't that why all phone numbers begin with 555?
In that case I'd say "pot, pot, Al Gore, and pot".
The key to remembering random bits of information is to link them together in some kind of mental picture. Allow me to illustrate: "After I jammed the thermometer up the cat's rectum, a passing cloud darkened the room so much that I had to turn on the light switch". Think you'll forget that one? ;-)
In this day and age, that's not saying much. Ever seen Jay Leno's Jaywalking?
But I forget 5 things at a time, so it’s a net loss for me.
So then, being someone who remembers about 70 cable channels and their representative themes, am I a geeneeous!?
You stole that from me, youngster!
I can remember three things from yesterday at the doc's: Cat bites are the worst; human bites come in second; and dog bites are third. We didn't ask her about monkey bites or the donkey that bit my sister.
So that's sort of three out of five.
The cat won't!
I’m afraid you are mistaken...It was a Moose that bit your sister. Mind you, moose bites can be nasty....
I can't remember the book where I first read about this but I did a search and came up with:
http://www.geocities.com/jswortham/corvus.html
I am happy to be superior to crows. I'm up to five.
Sex
Tequila
Food
Pool
Death
I have two others which are borderline and which I think qualify me for genius:
Sleep
Bowel Movements
Even such a simple perusal makes it clear why man is called king of the beasts.
So much for memory. LOL!
Alright, but you've gotta replace one instance of pot with 'munchies'!!!
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