The beginning of a word list relates to which effect compared to the end relating to which effect?

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Study for the University of Central Florida EXP3604 Cognitive Psychology Final Exam. Use flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations to prepare effectively. Ace your exam!

The correct answer highlights two well-studied phenomena in cognitive psychology regarding memory recall: the primacy effect and the recency effect.

The primacy effect refers to the enhanced ability to remember items presented at the beginning of a list. This occurs because early items have more opportunity for encoding into long-term memory due to the greater amount of rehearsal they receive. When items are first encountered, they are more likely to be transferred from short-term to long-term memory, which makes recalling them easier later on.

In contrast, the recency effect pertains to the improved recall for items presented at the end of a list. These items are still fresh in short-term memory and are easily accessible when trying to remember what was just presented. The recency effect is particularly strong when there is a short delay after the presentation of the list because these end items have not yet been displaced by new information.

Understanding these effects is crucial to grasping how we organize and retrieve information from memory, illustrating how position within a sequence influences recall efficacy.