PRIMACY AND RECENCY EFFECTS IN IMMEDIATE FREE RECALL OF SEQUENCES OF SPATIAL POSITIONS

2007 ◽  
Vol 105 (6) ◽  
pp. 483 ◽  
Author(s):  
RITA BONANNI
Keyword(s):  
1986 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Greene
Keyword(s):  

1977 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Ning Huang ◽  
Jerry Tomasini ◽  
Larry Nikl

2007 ◽  
Vol 105 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Bonanni ◽  
Patrizio Pasqualetti ◽  
Carlo Caltagirone ◽  
Giovanni Augusto Carlesimo

This study evaluated the serial position curve based on free recall of spatial position sequences. To evaluate the memory processes underlying spatial recall, some manipulations were introduced by varying the length of spatial sequences (Exp. 1) and modifying the presentation rate of individual positions (Exp. 2). A primacy effect emerged for all sequence lengths, while a recency effect was evident only in the longer sequences. Moreover, slowing the presentation rate increased the magnitude of the primacy effect and abolished the recency effect. The main novelty of the present results is represented by the finding that better recall of early items in a sequence of spatial positions does not depend on the task requirement of an ordered recall but it can also be observed in a free recall paradigm.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Osth ◽  
Simon Farrell

Memory models have typically characterized retrieval in free recall as multi-alternative decision making. However, the majority of these models have only been applied to mean response times (RTs), and have not accounted for the complete RT distributions. We show that RT distributions carry diagnostic information about how items enter into competition for recall, and how that competition impacts on the dynamics of recall. We jointly fit RT distributions and serial position functions of free recall initiation with both a racing diffusion model and the linear ballistic accumulator (LBA: Brown & Heathcote, 2008) model in a hierarchical Bayesian framework while factorially varying different assumptions of how primacy and recency are generated. Recency was either a power law or an exponential function. Primacy was treated either as a strength boost to the early list items so that both primacy and recency items jointly compete to be retrieved, a rehearsal process whereby the first item is sometimes rehearsed to the end of the list to make it functionally recent, or due to reinstatement of the start of the list. While serial position curves do not distinguish between these accounts, they make distinct predictions about how RT distributions vary across serial positions. Results from a number of datasets strongly favor the reinstatement account of primacy with an exponential recency function. These results suggest that models of free recall can be more constrained by considering complete RT distributions.


1990 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 259-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Sato

Temporal retrieval theory argues that both short-term and long-term recency effects reflect the distinctiveness of position/order information of recent items. The present study tested this proposal in both the standard immediate free-recall paradigm and the continuous-distractor paradigm. Serial-position curves of item information learned intentionally were compared to those of position/order information learned incidentally. In the immediate condition, similar recency effects were observed for item and position/order information; the correlation of item recency with position/order recency was significant. In the continuous-distractor condition, although significant recency effects were observed for item and position/order information, the correlation between them was low. These results suggest that the distinctiveness of position/order information contributes to short-term recency effects but not to long-term recency effects.


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