Question

Larry has just graduated from college and is going on his first job interview. He has learned that there are 10 other applicants for the job. Because of information on the serial position effect that he learned in his psychology class, Larry asks to be either the first or the last candidate interviewed. Why?

Answer 1

To influence the hiring managers judgement.

Explanation:

Serial position effect can be defined as the tendency to recall the first and last information presented which means the term is memory related.

Psychologists believe that normal individuals tends to remember words at the beginning and end of a list more frequently than those in the middle.

Therefore, by asking to be either the first or last candidate interviewed, Larry believes that his position influences subsequent judgement by the hiring manager by being remembered.