Final answer:
The serial position effect is influenced by primacy and recency, but can be disrupted by interference. Proactive interference occurs when old information hinders the recall of new information, while retroactive interference occurs when new information hinders the recall of old information.
Step-by-step explanation:
The serial position effect refers to the tendency to remember information from the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list better than information from the middle. The primacy effect occurs because items at the beginning of a list have had more time to be rehearsed and transferred to long-term memory. The recency effect occurs because items at the end of a list are still in short-term memory. However, interference can disrupt the serial position effect. Proactive interference happens when previously learned information interferes with the recall of newly learned information, while retroactive interference happens when newly learned information interferes with the recall of previously learned information.