Classroom Memory Experiment · n = 245
What does your
Percentage of participants who recalled each word from a 36-word list after one minute of study. Words appear in their original list order.
What does your
memory hold onto?
Percentage of participants who recalled each word from a 36-word list after one minute of study. Words appear in their original list order.
245
participants
Effect
Primacy (early words)
Recency (final words)
Repetition (repeated words)
Distinctiveness (only name)
Middle words
100%
75%
50%
25%
Primacy — first words
Middle — the forgotten stretch
Recency — final words
● Primacy Effect
75%
First word recalled
The first three words (Box, Bottle, Plug) averaged 52% recall. Our brains rehearse the beginning of a list more — they have the most time.
● Recency Effect
75%
Last word recalled
The final word, Box, was recalled by 75% of people — proof that the last thing you see lingers in short-term memory, even when it also appeared earlier.
● Repetition Effect
70%
Roof recalled
Roof appeared three times in the list. Repeated exposure reinforces memory traces — a core principle behind spaced repetition learning.
● Von Restorff Effect
48%
Terry recalled
Terry is the only human name on the list. Items that stand out from their surroundings are encoded more deeply — the isolation effect.