When given a list of items to remember, you are more likely to remember ________.
A) the items in the beginning better than those in the middle or at the end
B) the items in the middle more than those at the beginning or at the end
C) the items at the end more than those in the middle or at the beginning of the list
D) the items at the beginning and at the end more than those in the middle of the list

Question

When given a list of items to remember, you are more likely to remember ________.
A) the items in the beginning better than those in the middle or at the end
B) the items in the middle more than those at the beginning or at the end 
C) the items at the end more than those in the middle or at the beginning of the list
D) the items at the beginning and at the end more than those in the middle of the list

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The items at the beginning and at the end of the list are more likely to be remembered because of the serial position effect. The items in the middle of the list are more likely to be forgotten or confused with other items, hence option B is incorrect. Option C is also incorrect because while the recency effect supports the idea of remembering items at the end, it only works if there is no interference. Option A is also incorrect, as while the primacy effect supports remembering the items in the beginning, it is not as strong as the recency effect for items at the end.

When Given a List of Items to Remember, You Are