PSYC 305 Primacy and Recency Effect.pptx

Memory: Serial Position Effect Mariana V. C. Coutinho, PhD Outline Serial Position Effect Primacy and Recency Effects Exercise 04/30/2024 2 In this class, we will cover an interesting empirical finding in memory, which some of you may be familiar with or not. 04/30/2024 3 We will start with a m...

Memory: Serial Position Effect Mariana V. C. Coutinho, PhD Outline Serial Position Effect Primacy and Recency Effects Exercise 04/30/2024 2 In this class, we will cover an interesting empirical finding in memory, which some of you may be familiar with or not. 04/30/2024 3 We will start with a memory test! Here are the instructions: 04/30/2024 4 Recall Memory Test Instructions Pay attention to the words, and when you see the word “recall” write them down. 04/30/2024 5 Candy 04/30/2024 6 Recall Dates Sun Lockdown Peace Tower Candy Shoes Table Home Rain 04/30/2024 7 Which items were you more likely to recall? At the beginning At the middle At the end of the list Which items were you more likely to recall? At the beginning At the middle At the end of the list The Serial Position Effect Items at the beginning and end of the original list are much more likely to be remembered than items in the middle of the list. The Serial Position Effect As you can see there is an interesting between the accuracy of our retrieval and the order that the items were presented. The Serial Position Effect This phenomenon is called the serial position effect because the probability of recalling an item tends to be related to its position among other items on a list. The Serial Position Effect The serial position effect is found in studies testing memory for lists of –Numbers –Facts –States –Colors –Pictures –Ideas within paragraphs –Final scores of soccer games over an entire season The Serial Position Effect The Serial Position Effect is broken down into: Primacy Effect Recency Effect 04/30/2024 14 Primacy Effect The tendency to remember early part of the list than the middle part. Recency Effect Last items on the list (those items most recently encountered) are also remembered better than the middle items. Primacy Effect Recency Effect What explains Primacy and Recency Effects? 04/30/2024 18 The Serial Position Effect Primacy effect –It is observed most likely because the items in the beginning of the list received more attention, and were rehearsed more, since no item before interfered with the encoding of them. The Serial Position Effect Recency effect  We remember more items at the end of the list than in the middle because these items were recently placed in short-term memory. This makes them immediately available, but only temporarily. Thank you! 04/30/2024 21