Positive and negative recency effects in free recall learning

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between the magnitude of the positive recency effect in immediate free recall (IFR) and the magnitude of the negative recency effect in final free recall (FFR). Subjects learned 10 lists, followed by a FFR test. Across Lists 1–8 (each 21 words in length) there was an increase in positive recency in IFR and a concomitant increase in negative recency in FFR. There was no negative recency in FFR for List 9 which was a short list (12 words), and List 10 (21 words). These results, plus order of recall data, provide support for the hypothesis that negative recency is the product of a strategy wherein subjects learn to superficially encode end items in IFR because this is sufficient to guarantee their immediate recall.