Recency and Primacy Effects

The order in which information is learned determines how reliably it will be recalled. The first item in a list is initially distinguished from previous activities as important (primacy effect) and may be transferred to long-term memory by the time of recall. Items at the end of the list are still in short-term memory (recency effect) at the time of recall.

Students learn about short- and long-term memory by conducting an experiment where they try to remember a list of 20 words.

Grade Level: 4-12

Lesson Length: 1 class period

Adapted from Neuroscience for Kids website and the Brain Link Activity books developed by the Baylor College of Medicine