Serial-position effects for items and relations in short-term memory

Abstract

Two experiments used immediate probed recall of words to investigate serial-position effects. Item memory was tested through probing with a semantic category. Relation memory was tested through probing with the word's spatial location of presentation. Input order and output order were deconfounded by presenting and probing items in different orders. Primacy and recency effects over input position were found for both item memory and relation memory. Both item and relation memory declined over output position. The finding of a U-shaped input position function for item memory rules out an explanation purely in terms of positional confusions (e.g., edge effects). Either these serial-position effects arise from variations in the intrinsic memory strength of the items, or they arise from variations in the strength of item–position bindings, together with retrieval by scanning.

Keywords:

• Serial-position curves
• Short-term memory
• Primacy effects
• Recency effects
• Computational modelling

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Grant RES-062-23-1199. Klaus Oberauer is now at the Department of Psychology–Cognitive Psychology Unit, University of Zurich, Switzerland.