Scientific Definition
Limited capacity holding-tank for current information.
Plain-English Definition
Limited capacity holding-tank for current information.
Feynman Explanation
Roughly 4 ± 1 items. That's it.
Core Principle
Limited capacity holding-tank for current information.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Limited capacity holding-tank for current information.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Roughly 4 ± 1 items. That's it.
Examples
- Why too many open meetings degrade everything.
- Workflow design that respects working memory limits.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Externalize. Chunk. Sequence.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Externalize. Chunk. Sequence.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Brain region tracking conflict, error, and effort.
Boredom triggers creative wandering.
Cognitive performance varies predictably with circadian rhythm.
Most biases are efficient heuristics misapplied.
Working memory has limits.
Pausing System 1 to engage System 2.
Familiar information feels true.
Brain network active during rest and mind-wandering — and during creative insight.
Glucose, omega-3s, sleep, and hydration each influence decision quality.
Self-control draws from a limited daily pool. (Contested in lab; observed in life.)
Thinking happens through the body, not despite it.
Aerobic exercise measurably improves executive function.