======Short-Term Memory======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
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**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
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**Alternative titles:** Test Your Memory With Word Lists
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====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Present participants with a list of 25 unrelated words.  
  - Allow two minutes for participants to study and memorize the words.  
  - After the time is up, remove the list and give participants two minutes to recall and write down as many words as possible.  
  - Count the number of correct words recalled.  
  - Repeat the activity using a second list of words that are grouped by categories (e.g., animals, colors, furniture, school, fruits).  
  - Compare recall rates between the random list and the categorized list.



====Links==== 

📄 A Simple DIY Short-Term Memory Experiment - verywellmind: [[https://www.verywellmind.com/a-short-term-memory-experiment-2795664]]\\


====Variations====
  * Test with different list lengths (10, 20, or 30 words).  
  * Vary the study time (30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes) and see how it affects recall.  
  * Change the delay before recall (immediate vs. waiting several minutes).  
  * Try with images or numbers instead of words.



====Safety Precautions==== 
  * Ensure participants do not feel pressured or judged for recall performance.



====Questions to Consider====
  * How many words did you recall from the first random list? (Most people recall around 5–9 items, matching George Miller’s finding of 7±2.)  
  * Why was it easier to remember the second list? (Chunking and categorization help organize information in memory.)  
  * What other strategies might improve short-term memory performance? (Rehearsal, visualization, association, mnemonic devices.)