yup!

-- CatherineJohnson - 20 Feb 2006

Yeah, if I get interrupted leaving my phone number on voicemail, I always have to start over. With my work number and home number in different area codes, it gets a bit exciting leaving a message sometimes.

Actually, phone numbers (and zip codes, and your SSN and so on) illustrate how people get around the "seven things" limit of working memory. Well, it does so for me, at least.

Chunking.

It's much easier to remember a phone number that's in my local exchange (first 3 digits the same as yours) because that's effectively a single number that I already know, whereas a random 7-digit number will probably take up all the slots in my working memory leaving none for the name of the person I'm trying to call.

Likewise, I know my SSN cold (from when it was regularly used as an ID number) but I'd have to repeat the entire thing to myself in order to give the last 4 digits (as is now common) until I learned "last 4" as a distinct item from "SSN".

-- AndyLange - 17 Feb 2006

I have that for phone numbers & even addresses.

If I actually stop to think: What is my zip code?, it's gone.

-- CatherineJohnson - 16 Feb 2006

I've experienced that. Every year or two in my bowling league I'll be concentrating too hard and start thinking about which foot I should start with, and often I choose the wrong one - leading to an awkward "Stop, something's wrong!

I love it!

perfect illustration

-- CatherineJohnson - 16 Feb 2006

I've experienced that. Every year or two in my bowling league I'll be concentrating too hard and start thinking about which foot I should start with, and often I choose the wrong one - leading to an awkward "Stop, something's wrong! Whoops, gotta start over" moment. If I don't think about it and just bowl, I never have that problem.

-- AndyLange - 16 Feb 2006

a poem about automaticity

Old Grouch found this at "The Centipede Who Went to School" %BR%

A centipede was happy, quite,
Until an ant, in fun,
Said "Pray, which leg comes after which?"
Which raised his doubts to such a pitch,
He fell befuddled in the ditch,
Not knowing how to run.