Which statement best describes short-term memory capacity?

Which statement best describes short-term memory capacity?

• A. It stores long-term motor skills.
• B. It is the capacity to hold new cognitive information briefly before it is forgotten.
• C. It has unlimited capacity.
• D. It only stores visual information.

Answer: (B)

Short-term memory capacity is about how much new information we can hold in mind for a short time to use or think about before it fades if we don’t rehearse it. It’s a limited resource—often described as a few chunks of information, roughly 4 to 7 items depending on how the info is organized. The statement that best describes it says it’s the capacity to hold new cognitive information briefly before it is forgotten, which captures both the temporary nature and the limited amount of information we can maintain. This distinguishes it from long-term memory, which stores things like motor skills, and from the idea of unlimited capacity. It also isn’t limited to visual data—short-term memory handles multiple kinds of information, including verbal and auditory as well as visual.

Short-term memory capacity is about how much new information we can hold in mind for a short time to use or think about before it fades if we don’t rehearse it. It’s a limited resource—often described as a few chunks of information, roughly 4 to 7 items depending on how the info is organized. The statement that best describes it says it’s the capacity to hold new cognitive information briefly before it is forgotten, which captures both the temporary nature and the limited amount of information we can maintain. This distinguishes it from long-term memory, which stores things like motor skills, and from the idea of unlimited capacity. It also isn’t limited to visual data—short-term memory handles multiple kinds of information, including verbal and auditory as well as visual.