Psychology: Internal Assessment
An Experiment Investigating The Primacy Effect In Recall
Personal Code: hwb602
Personal Code of Group Mates:
gqm281
gqm282
gqm268
Date of Submission: 31 January 2020
Word Count: 2,198
, Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………...…….…1
Exploration……………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………………..5
Evaluation………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
References……………………………………………………………………………………………....9
Appendices
Appendix 1: Copy of the Informed Consent ………………………………………….…….10
Appendix 2: Directions and Debriefing Script……………………………………………….11
Appendix 3: List of Words……………………………………………………………………..12
Appendix 4: Results of Condition 1 and 2…………………………………………………...13
Appendix 5: Line Graph of Results of Condition 1 and 2………………………................14
Appendix 5: Mann Whitney Calculations……………………………………………….14
, hwb602
Introduction
Memory is a cognitive process used to encode, store and retrieve information. According
to the Multi Store Memory (MSM) model proposed by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin in
1968 , memory is composed of three components; sensory memory, short term memory (STM)
and long term memory (LTM). These components differ from each other based on their duration,
capacity and the process in which they were memorized. Sensory memory functions to detect
information and store it until it becomes STM or lost. Meanwhile, information in STM is usually
stored for an average of 30 seconds, however rehearsal allows memory to be stored in STM
longer, or allows it to become long term memory. Long term memory is used to store large
amounts of information for unlimited periods of time, although the information stored is not
always easy to retrieve without rehearsal (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968).
A study that supports the MSM model, was conducted by Glanzer and Cunitz in 1966.
They aimed to examine the serial position effect, which refers to when an item’s position in a list
affects one's recall. They conducted an experiment using a repeated measures design with 240
US Army enlisted males. The participants were presented a list of words, and were asked to
recall them in any order. However, the participants were allocated into two conditions. The first
condition involves half of the participants recalling the words immediately after they were
presented. In the second condition, the other half of the participants were told to recall the
words after counting backwards for 30 seconds. The results showed that participants in the first
condition tend to recall items at the beginning and end of the list, thus displaying the primacy
and recency effect. The primacy effect refers to when one recalls the items in the beginning of
the list more, and recency effect refers to when one tends to recall the items in the end of the list
more. The results also showed that participants in the second condition tend to recall the items
in the beginning of the list, only showing primacy effect.
Glanzer and Cunitz’s study concluded that the 30 second distraction task reduces the
occurrence of the recency effect as it interferes with STM, while the information at the beginning
of the list is already stored in long term memory, explaining why primacy effect still displayed in
the second condition. This study clearly displays the theory of the MSM Model as it shows how
information from STM can either stay in STM or transferred to long term memory through
rehearsal.
1
An Experiment Investigating The Primacy Effect In Recall
Personal Code: hwb602
Personal Code of Group Mates:
gqm281
gqm282
gqm268
Date of Submission: 31 January 2020
Word Count: 2,198
, Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………...…….…1
Exploration……………………………………………………………………………………………….3
Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………………..5
Evaluation………………………………………………………………………………………………..7
References……………………………………………………………………………………………....9
Appendices
Appendix 1: Copy of the Informed Consent ………………………………………….…….10
Appendix 2: Directions and Debriefing Script……………………………………………….11
Appendix 3: List of Words……………………………………………………………………..12
Appendix 4: Results of Condition 1 and 2…………………………………………………...13
Appendix 5: Line Graph of Results of Condition 1 and 2………………………................14
Appendix 5: Mann Whitney Calculations……………………………………………….14
, hwb602
Introduction
Memory is a cognitive process used to encode, store and retrieve information. According
to the Multi Store Memory (MSM) model proposed by Richard Atkinson and Richard Shiffrin in
1968 , memory is composed of three components; sensory memory, short term memory (STM)
and long term memory (LTM). These components differ from each other based on their duration,
capacity and the process in which they were memorized. Sensory memory functions to detect
information and store it until it becomes STM or lost. Meanwhile, information in STM is usually
stored for an average of 30 seconds, however rehearsal allows memory to be stored in STM
longer, or allows it to become long term memory. Long term memory is used to store large
amounts of information for unlimited periods of time, although the information stored is not
always easy to retrieve without rehearsal (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968).
A study that supports the MSM model, was conducted by Glanzer and Cunitz in 1966.
They aimed to examine the serial position effect, which refers to when an item’s position in a list
affects one's recall. They conducted an experiment using a repeated measures design with 240
US Army enlisted males. The participants were presented a list of words, and were asked to
recall them in any order. However, the participants were allocated into two conditions. The first
condition involves half of the participants recalling the words immediately after they were
presented. In the second condition, the other half of the participants were told to recall the
words after counting backwards for 30 seconds. The results showed that participants in the first
condition tend to recall items at the beginning and end of the list, thus displaying the primacy
and recency effect. The primacy effect refers to when one recalls the items in the beginning of
the list more, and recency effect refers to when one tends to recall the items in the end of the list
more. The results also showed that participants in the second condition tend to recall the items
in the beginning of the list, only showing primacy effect.
Glanzer and Cunitz’s study concluded that the 30 second distraction task reduces the
occurrence of the recency effect as it interferes with STM, while the information at the beginning
of the list is already stored in long term memory, explaining why primacy effect still displayed in
the second condition. This study clearly displays the theory of the MSM Model as it shows how
information from STM can either stay in STM or transferred to long term memory through
rehearsal.
1
