The serial position effect of free recall.

1962/11/01 by Bennet B. Murdock · 1,756 citations
Computer Science · Psychology · #Cognitive psychology #Communication #Free recall #Information Retrieval and Search Behavior #Machine Learning and Algorithms #Position (finance) #Psychology #Recall #Recall test #Serial learning #Serial position effect #Social psychology #Topic Modeling

paper · doi:10.1037/h0045106

published in Journal of Experimental Psychology 64(5), 482-488 (American Psychological Association)

openalex publication_date 1962/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

The serial position curve is characterized by a steep, possibly exponential, primacy effect extending over the 1st 3 or 4 words in the list, an S-shaped recency effect extending over the last 8 words in the list, and a horizontal asymptote spanning the primacy and recency effect. The shape of the cu

Citations

• Short-term retention of individual verbal items.

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