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Introduction:

The Serial Position Effect relates to real life issues such as remembering grocery lists,
homework and the words in a song. When trying to memorize these lists or words, it is often
difficult to remember the middle section of the list. This illustrates the Serial Position Effect, one
in which the beginning or primacy and the ending or recency sections of a list are remembered
best, demonstrated by a study performed by Glanzer and Cunitz in 1966 (Travis and Wade 327).
The Serial Position Effect deals with how the brain processes and coverts sensory information
into short term memory. The initial sensory stages in which the information is gathered can be
manipulated to improve or decrease the chance of recall. This topic is meaningful and worthy of
study because it has implications in the use and improvement of short term memory. Research on
the Serial Position Effect has found that the effect is very strong in varying situations and that the
recency and the primacy were key factors to this (Smith). Other studies have found that the
interruption during or near the end of the experiment can disrupt the effectiveness of the recency
effect. The understanding of how the Serial Position Effect can be interrupted or refuted can be
seen in this experiment. In this experiment the middle terms of a list are repeated in order to
disrupt the U-shape of the Serial Position Effect and possibly make it more likely that the middle
terms in a list will be remembered. The results of this experiment might have implications for
students trying to remember information for tests, businesses that want better employee
organization an effective communication and retention of orders. This experiment was conducted
by Lauren Bloxham, Eric Hsiao and Shea Barnett in 2009.

Method:

Design:

The method used in this investigation was the experimental method of investigation. This
method was chosen because the ease of control which many variables can be controlled, with one
variable manipulated at the experiment designer’s will. The participants in this investigation
were shown a complete list of 18 words to memorize. The 18 words consisted of commonly used
words in everyday school life and afterschool activities, thus ensuring the participants’
understanding of the words. The experiment consisted of two testing groups. The independent
variable, tested in the experimental group, was the number of times which the middle six words
appeared. The dependent variable was the effect which the repetition of words had upon one’s
memory recall of the words. To prevent participants in the experimental group from intentionally
memorizing the middle six words, participants in this group were not informed of what exactly
was being tested in the experiment. Variables which could have affected the outcome of the
experiment were outside distractions and participants writing down or verbally repeating words.
These potential disruptions were controlled through the use of a classroom testing setting in quiet
section of the school during Lunchtime. Participants under 18 years of age were given a parental
consent form agreeing to their participation in the experiment, participants 18 years or older
completed their own consent forms. No participants were harmed during this experiment.
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Participants:

The participants in this study were selected through an opportunity sample because of
schedule conflicts and for the convenience of both participants and experimenters. Participants
were asked to join in the experiment a week in advance and were told to have their parents fill
out permission forms if they were under the age of 18. The participants were also given the
incentive of free food and snacks if they joined the experiment. The experimental conditions and
the control conditions were the same in almost every respect; the room was the same, the
instructor was the same, the time given to do every step of the experiment was timed so as to
ensure uniformity in each condition. There were 11 participants per condition of which 9 were
male and 13 were female. Most of the participants were between the ages of 14 and 18 and were
native English speakers.

Apparatus/Materials:

The materials used were fairly basic in nature though many required the use of
technology such as powerpoint programs, smartboards and computers. The layout of the
equipment allowed for the best and most unobstructed view of the smartboard so that the
experiment could be carried out as smoothly as possible without many distractions. The materials
were used to meet the needs of the experiment by creating a comfortable non-distracting
environment in which the participant could participate in the experiment effectively and record
their results with the most ease.

Procedure:

1. Participants asked ahead of time to fill out a parent permission form and to bring form to
the experiment
2. On the day of the experiment, participants divided evenly into a control group and an
experimental group
3. One group stays outside and is asked to be quiet while the other group is told to sit inside
the classroom at individual desks that are evenly spaced facing the Smart Board.
4. Participants are given a pencil and a small slip of paper on which to write and are told the
instructions of the experiment.
5. The powerpoint is played and all people in and outside of the classroom are quiet so as
not to disturb the participants’ concentration.
6. After the powerpoint ends, participants are allowed to immediately begin writing the
words they remember for 2-3 minutes.
7. Afterwards questions regarding the conduct of the experiment are asked and then the
concluding statement is read.
8. Participants are given snacks and the other group is invited in to do steps 3 through 8.
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The participants in this experiment were tested in groups but were not asked to talk with each
other. The data was written down by the participants themselves and handed in for analysis and
scoring. The setting for this experiment was in a standard classroom with a smartboard, a
computer and individual desks on November 2, 2009 during the school lunch break. In each
group, the instructions were the same and were said by the same experimenter. Ethical
considerations such as race, age and gender were dealt with by picking both males and females
from different backgrounds and ages and not allowing the instructions or the procedure to
discriminate significantly against differences in the participant pool. Please see Appendix B for
full instructions. The results of this experiment were recorded by the participants individually
and collaborated into charts in Appendix C and Appendix D.
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Results:

Analysis of Results

The data presented and the results collected were nominal and ordinal in nature since it
had to do with words and also because it was presented in a specific order.

Graph 1: Comparison of Average Words Remembered in Middle Section between Control and
Experimental Groups

Graph 2: Number of Participants Who Recalled Words for Controlled and Experimental Groups

Contro
Experimen

Words in Order as
in List
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Discussion

The data in the results section indicates that the average words remembered was higher in
the experimental group than in the control group (Graph 1) implying that the doubling of words
in the middle section of the list was affective in increasing a person’s memory of the middle
section of list of words. Therefore the data supported the experiment and the hypothesis since
doubling the words in the middle section actually increases participants’ memory of those words.
The implications of this finding go against the Serial Position Effect and so possibly demonstrate
an instance in which it might not apply. Graph 2 further supports this conclusion since, although
there is a clear indication that participants remembered the first and last words in a list best, the
experimental group actually remembered more than the control group when tested on the middle
section of words. The independent variable was probably fairly responsible in the results of this
experiment since there was a deviation from the findings in the control group but also a close
correlation to the control group’s results in other instances.

Weaknesses that may have confounded the results of this experiment include the group
setting in which participants were experimented on, loud disruptive noises from outside that were
unavoidably introduced into the experiment setting. Unusual results include the creation of new
words by the participants that might have related to other words but were not in fact on the list.
The results of this experiment should not be thought of as a representation of the general public
or even the school body since this was a small slice of the actual population and did not represent
non-native speakers of English or many of the other nationalities present at this school. In
conclusion, this experiment finds that there are ways in which the Serial Position Affect does not
apply such as the repetition of words in the middle of a list. The experiment also raises the
question as to the validity of the Serial Position Affect and how other methods could be used to
refute it.
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References:

“Experiment Description: Free Recall and the Serial Position.” Athabasca University. 27 June
2005. 30 Nov. 2009. <http://psych.athabasca.ca/html/Psych355/Exp/recall.shtml?so=true

Smith, Michelle Lynn. “The Forgotten Child of Memory.” The Serial Position Effect. Middle
Tennessee State University. n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.

<http://www.mtsu.edu/~sschmidt/Cognitive/sample_report.htm>

Tarvis, Carol and Carole Wade. (2001). Memory, 8, 327-8, in Psychology in Perspective. New
Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001. Print.
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Appendix A

Student Notification Form

You have been selected to participate in and IB SL Psychology experiment conducted on

November 2, 2009 during lunch (10.20 am). Please be there promptly. This experiment is
designed to test memory and your results will be available to you (and only you). If you have any
questions email either Shea (sheasiam@gmail.com), Lauren (i_am_lauren1992@hotmail.com) or
Eric (erichsiao92@hotmail.com). Please have the parent consent form signed by your parents
and bring it with you on the day of the experiment. You will not be able to participate if you
don’t have the signed form with you. Also, if you can participate in the experiment, please email
either one of us to let us know. Thank you.

Snacks will be available at the end of the experiment!

Parent Consent Form

I agree that my child is willing to participate in an experiment conducted by Shea Barnett, Eric
Hsiao and Lauren Bloxham approved by the IB Psychology teacher Mr. Howe which will
account for 20% of the IB grade. I understand that my child will be asked to memorize a list of
words and be asked to recall these words. I understand that any information gathered from my
child’s participation will remain confidential and that my child will have the right to withdraw
from this experiment at any time. I understand that my child will be debriefed to the purpose of
this experiment upon its completion and that my results will be made available to me.

Student Name: __________________________________________________

Parent Signature: ___________________________________________________

Contact Information:

Shea Barnett: sheasiam@gmail.com

Lauren Bloxham: i_am_lauren1992@hotmail.com

Eric Hsiao: erichsiao92@hotmail.com

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Appendix B:

Preliminary Instructions

Thank you for coming. You will be shown a series of slides each with a word typed on it. You
will have 3 seconds per slide to look at each word. Please try and memorize the list as best you
can. Please do not speak with or distract each other while the powerpoint is playing. After the
powerpoint ends please write as many words as you can remember from the powerpoint on your
paper in whatever order they come to you. We will also ask you a few post-experimental
questions after you’re done. After the experiment we will tell you the purpose of this experiment.

Post-experimental Questions

Was it intimidating to be tested on memory in a group setting?

Could you see the words clearly?

Was there anything hat distracted you during the experiment?

Debriefing Notes

Thank you for participating in our experiment. The purpose of this experiment was to test the
Serial Position Effect, a phenomenon in which a person has the tendency to recall the first and
the last words in a list. In this experiment, we attempted to find a situation in which the Serial
Position Effect would not work. We did this by repeating the words in the middle section of the
list. Please do not reveal any of this to other participants you may know. The final results will be
made available to you should you request them at the completion of this project. Thank you,
once again for coming.
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Appendix C:
Key:

Control Group Primary Section Recent Section

Middle Section Made up

Participa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
nts
Key:
Pencil Room Pencil Pencil Pencil Pencil Pencil Pencil Pen Book Table
Primary Section Recent Section
Book Chair Pen Book Book Binder Eraser Book Eraser Library Pencil
Middle Section Made up
Eraser Table Eraser Pen Eraser Book Pen Eraser Calculat Calculat Chair
or or

Pen Sports Marker Eraser Calculat Library Calculato Binder Ruler Backpac Room
or r k

Library Cafeteri Table Cafeteri Library Comput Library Backpac Library Binder Sports
a a er k

Calculat Binder Chair Calculat Paper Chair Cafeteria Cafeteri Backpac Pen Table
or or a k

Pen Backpac Comput Comput Marker Table Ruler Pen Table Eraser Binder
k er er

Paper Ruler Paper Ruler Binder Room Table Binder Cafeteri Paper
a

Ruler Calculat Cafeteri Sports Compute Library Room Chair Marker

or a r

Binder Sports Cafeteri Homewor School Comput Comput Homewor

a k er er k

Comput Book Table Chair Chair Book

er

Cafeteri Bag Backpack Paper Book

a

Binder Book

Calculat Chair
or

Paper

Marker
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Appendix D:

Experimental Group

Participa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
nts

Marker Pencil Book Library Pencil Pencil Pencil Ruler Pencil Pencil Library

Chair Book Pen Cafeteria Book Book Book Pen Book Eraser Pen

Room Eraser Pencil Paper Eraser Eraser Eraser Pencil Eraser Pen Pencil

Sports Library Calculato Pen Pen Pen Pen Paper Pen Library Eraser
r

Cafeteria Ruler Library Pencil Library Library Calculato Backpack Ruler Chair Ruler
r

Ruler Cafeteria Marker Eraser Compute Calculat Ruler Compute Paper Calculato Paper
r or r r

Calculato Pen Chair Marker Backpack Ruler Library Table Table Cafeteria Binder
r

Pen Homewor Backpack Table Table Binder Room Chair Sports Ruler Table
k

Pencil Paper Binder Chair Homewor Paper Homewor Cafeteria Cafeteria Backpack Room
k k

Paper Backpack Sports Book Sports Room Table Binder Compute

r

Binder Cafeteria Binder Cafeteria Table Marker Library Marker

Homewor Eraser School Chair Sports Book

k

Sports Backpac Cafeteria Marker

k

Ruler Sports Backpack Sports

Cafeteri Chair Calculato

a r

Marker Compute Eraser

r

Binder Room

Teacher Homewor
k

Paper