central limited capacity
the observed constraint on the processing capacity of the cognitive system—that is, the limited number of items or tasks that one can process (e.g., attend to, be aware of) at a given moment. Cognition is particularly subject to narrow capacity limits when items are novel or arbitrarily presented and when a primary task is highly paced or is assessed under an additional task load (see dual-task competition). This limited capacity affects voluntary decision making, working memory, effortful cognition, and choice reaction time, among other functions. However, capacity limits can be increased dramatically by way of chunking (organization), long-term memory, or automaticity after habituation.