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Home/Magazine Archive/June 2020 (Vol. 63, No. 6)/Communicate Using the Numbers 1, 2, 3, and More/Abstract

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Communicate Using the Numbers 1, 2, 3, and More

By Thomas A. Limoncelli
Communications of the ACM, June 2020, Vol. 63 No. 6, Pages 42-44
10.1145/3386267
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illustration with numbers 1, 2, and 3 — Credit: Shutterstock / Andrij Borys Associates

The human brain reacts differently to lists of different lengths. When you align what you say with what the human brain expects, you communicate more effectively. In this column I'll explain how to leverage the way the brain reacts to various quantities to make your speaking and writing more effective.

People often use lists of various sizes when communicating. I might have 2 reasons for supporting the new company strategy. I might tell you my 3 favorite programming languages. I might make a presentation that describes 4 new features. There is 1 vegetable that I like more than any other.

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