When children learn the alphabet, they often learn "A, B, C, D," and "W, X, Y, Z," before they learn the letters "P, Q, R, S, T." This illustrates a memory phenomenon called
A) the von Restorff effect.
B) the serial position effect.
C) the selective interference effect.
D) state-dependent learning.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The serial position effect refers to the tendency for people to better remember items at the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list or sequence, and is often seen in tasks like memorizing the alphabet or a list of words. In the case of the alphabet, the letters at the beginning (A, B, C, D) and end (W, X, Y, Z) are more easily remembered due to this effect, leading to P, Q, R, S, and T being learned later on. The other options (A, C, and D) do not accurately describe this phenomenon.

When Children Learn the Alphabet, They Often Learn "A, B