The Effects of a Suffix-Prefix on Forward and Backward Serial Recall

Abstract

Addition of an auditory suffix to a sequence of items presented auditorily typically produces a large end-of-sequence decrement in recall. In contrast, a prefix leads to a generalized performance decrement. Manning and Dawes have found that in backward serial recall a suffix produces a generalized decrement, a pattern more typical of a prefix. In an effort to test whether the suffix in backward recall acts as an implicit prefix, backward and forward serial recall were compared with and without a suffix-prefix, a redundant item that followed the sequence and was articulated before sequential recall.