Question

Which of the following scenarios would result in a diminished primacy effect and diminished recency effect in the serial position curve?

1) The words are presented at a slower pace followed by the individual counting from 1 to 30 aloud before recall.
2) The words are presented very quickly followed by a short break before recall.
3) The words are presented very quickly followed by the participant reciting the alphabet backwards before recall.
4) The words are presented in colour followed by a task which asks you to group the words in terms of their colour during presentation.

Answer 1

The first scenario, with a slower presentation of words and subsequent counting, would lead to a reduced primacy and recency effect due to the additional time for processing and the interference from the counting task. The correct answer is 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario that would result in a diminished primacy effect and diminished recency effect in the serial position curve would be the first scenario, where words are presented at a slower pace followed by the individual counting from 1 to 30 aloud before recall. This interruption in the recall process can lead to proactive and retroactive interference, reducing the likelihood of recalling items from the beginning and the end of the list. The slower pace allows for more processing time and may weaken the primacy effect, while the subsequent counting task distracts from the memorization, potentially diminishing the recency effect. The correct answer is 1.