Serial position effect

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It has been suggested that recency effect be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

It has been suggested that primacy effect be merged into this article or section. (Discuss)

Graph showing the serial position effect, the vertical axis shows the percentage of words recalled, the horizontal axis shows their position in the sequence

The serial position effect refers to how items at the beginning of a list are the easiest to recall, followed by the items near the end of a list. Items in the middle are the least likely to be remembered........

This effect can be thought of as a combination of the recency effect and primacy effect, as well as the Von Restorff effect (assuming that the beginning and ends of a list stand out cognitively).

Some have suggested that this effect could be applied to learning by placing the most difficult items to learn sequentially at the beginning and end, it's also well known by advertisers that placing an advertisement at the beginning or end of a TV commercial block or of a magazine will yield the best results.

One suggested reason for the primacy effect is that the initial items presented are most effectively stored in long-term memory because of the greater amount of processing devoted to them. (The first list item can be rehearsed by itself; the second must be rehearsed along with the first, the third along with the first and second, and so on.) One suggested reason for the recency effect is that these items are still present in working memory when recall is solicited. Items that benefit from neither (the middle items) are recalled most poorly.

There is experimental support for these explanations. For example:

• The primacy effect (but not the recency effect) is reduced when items are presented quickly and is enhanced when presented slowly (factors that reduce and enhance processing of each item and thus permanent storage)
• The recency effect (but not the primacy effect) is reduced when an interfering task is given; for example, subjects may be asked to compute a math problem in their heads prior to recalling list items; this task requires working memory and interferes with any list items being attended to
• Amnesiacs with poor ability to form permanent long-term memories do not show a primacy effect, but do show a recency effect

[edit] See also

• List of memory biases
• Psychology
• HM (patient)
• Clive Wearing

[edit] References

• Frensch, P. A. (1994). Composition during serial learning: a serial position effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20, 2, 423-443.
• Healy, A. F., Havas, D. A., & Parker, J. T. (2000). Comparing serial position effects in semantic and episodic memory using reconstruction of order tasks. Journal of Memory and Language, 42, 147-167.
• Murry Glanzer and Anita R. Cunitz, "Two storage mechanisms in Free Recall", Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour, 1966