The Serial Position Effect: Psychology And Examples

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Have you ever noticed how you remember the first and last items on a grocery list better than the ones in the middle? This phenomenon is known as the serial position effect. 

Understanding how this effect works can help designers, marketers, and psychologists craft better user experiences, educational tools, and advertising strategies.

This article from Design Journal explores the serial position effect psychology, why it matters, its implications for design, and the best practices for leveraging it effectively.

What is serial position effect?

The serial position effect is a cognitive bias that explains how the position of an item in a sequence affects recall accuracy. 

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus first identified this effect in the late 19th century through his studies of memory and learning.

The serial position effect consists of two key components:

• Primacy Effect: The tendency to remember the first items in a list better due to increased rehearsal and long-term memory encoding. Since these items are processed first, they have a higher chance of being stored in long-term memory, making them easier to recall later.
• Recency Effect: The tendency to recall the last items in a list better because they remain in short-term memory. These items are still fresh in the mind when recall is required, making them more accessible.

For instance, if someone is presented with a list of 10 words, they are more likely to remember the words at the beginning and end while struggling to recall the middle ones.

Serial position effect psychology

The serial position effect is a crucial concept in cognitive psychology and is widely studied in memory research. 

Ebbinghaus’s early experiments showed that participants could recall words better when they were either at the beginning or the end of a sequence. 

Later research, including studies by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968), reinforced this by introducing the multi-store model of memory, which explains how information moves from sensory memory to short-term and long-term storage.

Key psychological insights into the serial position effect include:

• Cognitive Load Theory: When people process large amounts of information, they focus on the first and last elements due to limited cognitive load. The middle elements often get lost due to cognitive overload if too much information is presented simultaneously.
• Chunking & Grouping: Breaking information into smaller segments (chunking) can help mitigate the middle-list memory loss. This strategy allows individuals to process and retain information more effectively by associating related items.
• Real-Life Applications: The serial position effect plays a significant role in learning, marketing, and UX design, shaping how people process and retain information. Understanding this effect allows professionals to present key messages that enhance recall and engagement.

Why does serial position effect matter in UX design?

The serial position effect significantly influences how users process, remember, and interact with digital experiences. 

Whether navigating a website, scanning a menu, or making purchasing decisions, users are more likely to recall and engage with elements placed at their journey’s beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect).

Ignoring this cognitive bias can result in lower engagement, poor retention, and ineffective designs. 

However, when leveraged strategically, the serial position effect can improve usability, drive conversions, and enhance overall user satisfaction.

Key implications for UX design:

Enhancing information retention

Users have limited cognitive capacity and tend to forget information placed in the middle of a sequence. By positioning critical information at the start and end of a page, designers can increase retention and improve decision-making.

Example: In onboarding flows, apps like Duolingo and Notion introduce key features at the beginning and reinforce them at the end to ensure users remember essential functions.

Explore free Notion Templates for UX designers.

Boosting engagement and conversion rates

Calls to action (CTAs) placed at the top (first screen view) and bottom (after scrolling) have a higher chance of interaction.

Users naturally recall and engage with elements in these positions, leading to higher click-through rates (CTR) and conversions.

Example: On e-commerce sites like Amazon, product pages display the “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now” buttons at the top and reiterate them at the bottom for maximum visibility.

Improving navigation and usability

Users scan content in predictable patterns. To help users find key elements easily, place navigation bars, search options, and essential links in the most memorable positions.

Example: Websites like Airbnb and Spotify structure their navigation menus so that frequently used actions (like “Search” or “Explore”) appear at the beginning or end, making them more accessible.

Reducing cognitive overload

When users are overwhelmed with too much information, their memory and decision-making suffer. By organizing content into digestible sections, designers can prevent fatigue and improve comprehension.

Example: Google’s search results prioritize the most relevant results at the top, reducing users’ effort to find information.

4 ways to manage serial position effect in your designs

For UX designers, product managers, and marketers, effectively managing serial position effect can enhance user experiences and improve engagement and conversion rates. 

Below are four strategies for effectively applying it in design.

Prioritize key information in the beginning and end

Place the most critical elements at the beginning and end when designing a page, menu, or process to leverage the primacy and recency effects.

Users are more likely to forget information placed in the middle of a sequence.

How to apply this in design:

• Ensure essential CTAs (Call-to-Action), navigation links, or key messages appear at the top and bottom of a page.
• When designing forms or onboarding flows, start by presenting the most critical steps and reiterate essential actions at the end.
• In presentations or marketing emails, start with a compelling hook and end with a clear takeaway or action step.

Use chunking to enhance middle-list recall

Since users tend to forget middle items in a sequence, chunking—breaking down content into smaller, digestible sections—helps them process and retain information better. 

Designers should group related content meaningfully instead of presenting large blocks of text or lengthy lists.

How to apply this in design:

• Break long paragraphs into shorter sections with subheadings.
• Use bullet points, numbered lists, and white space to improve readability.
• Group related menu items or settings into categories rather than presenting a long, undifferentiated list.
• Design dashboards and interfaces with progressive disclosure, showing relevant information at the right time instead of overwhelming users simultaneously.

Read next on Font Psychology to learn more about readability and text placement.

Reiterate key messages throughout the journey

Repetition strengthens memory retention, so reinforcing key messages multiple times across a user’s journey ensures they remember crucial information.

Instead of presenting important details only once, highlight them at different points within the interface.

How to apply this in design:

• Repeat important CTAs (e.g., “Get Started,” “Subscribe”) at different touchpoints—introduction, mid-content, and end.
• Reiterate product benefits at multiple places on a product page to increase recall.
• Use UX writing (e.g., tooltips, labels) to reinforce key messages during interactions.
• In onboarding flows, summarize essential steps before moving forward.

Optimize for scannability and user flow

Since users typically scan pages rather than reading line by line, designing content with a clear visual hierarchy helps them focus on essential elements. 

Well-structured layouts guide users effortlessly through the content, improving information retention.

How to apply this in design:

• Use clear headings, bold text, and contrast colors to emphasize important information.
• Position CTAs at the top and bottom of landing pages to maximize visibility.
• Implement F-pattern or Z-pattern layouts, which align with natural eye-scanning behaviors.
• Use icons and images to break text-heavy sections and aid visual memory.

Serial position effect examples

Understanding the influence of the serial position effect on memory retention can help designers, marketers, and product managers create more compelling user experiences. 

Below are real-world serial position effect examples of companies leveraging primacy and recency effects to optimize engagement, conversion rates, and user satisfaction.

Website Navigation and Content Placement

Most high-traffic websites strategically structure their navigation and key content to ensure users remember essential elements. 

Apple’s website, for instance, prominently displays flagship product promotions, such as the latest iPhone or MacBook, at the top of its homepage, taking advantage of the primacy effect. 

Meanwhile, essential links such as privacy policy, contact us, and company careers are placed in the footer, ensuring they remain in users’ minds due to the recency effect when they reach the bottom. 

Similarly, Amazon’s homepage highlights Prime membership benefits prominently at the top while reinforcing urgency-based messaging (e.g., “Only 2 left in stock”) near the checkout process, ensuring users remember key purchase motivators.

Further Reading: HubSpot blog on Website Navigation

Ecommerce and checkout optimization

Online stores leverage the serial position effect to improve checkout experiences and increase conversions. 

Shopify-powered e-commerce stores often feature “Limited-time discount” banners at the top of product pages, ensuring users see these offers early and keep them in mind while shopping. 

On Booking.com, hotel search results are structured so that the best deals appear at the top, ensuring early recall and encouraging quicker decision-making. 

Additionally, during the checkout process, security assurances such as “Safe & Secure Payment” are at the bottom near the final purchase button to reinforce trust before the transaction.

Further Reading: Baymard Institute on Checkout UX

User onboarding and SaaS products

SaaS platforms optimize their onboarding processes using the serial position effect to ensure that new users retain crucial product information. 

Duolingo, for example, initiates onboarding with a simple yet engaging question—”Why do you want to learn a language?”—to create an immediate emotional connection. 

This aligns with the primacy effect, as users will likely recall the first step of their journey. 

Towards the end of the onboarding process, Duolingo introduces its streak feature, reinforcing habit formation through the recency effect and encouraging long-term user retention. 

Similarly, Slack highlights core features like channel creation, integrations, and team collaboration in the first few onboarding steps while reiterating these functionalities in later tooltips, ensuring users remember them.

Further Reading: UX Collective on Onboarding Design

Email marketing and content strategy

Email marketers structure their campaigns by leveraging the serial position effect to improve open rates, engagement, and click-through rates. 

HubSpot emails, for instance, start with an attention-grabbing subject line and opening sentence, ensuring users immediately recognize the email’s value. 

In the middle, they provide supporting details, such as industry insights or product updates.

At the end, they reinforce a CTA (Call to Action) like “Download Now” or “Sign Up,” ensuring users are more likely to remember and act on it. 

Similarly, TheSkimm’s daily newsletter captures attention with a compelling and conversational introductory line, followed by a structured summary of the day’s news. 

The email concludes with a shareable takeaway or recommendation, reinforcing retention and increasing the likelihood of engagement.

Further Reading: Litmus Report on Email UX Trends

Conclusion

The serial position effect is a fundamental psychological principle influencing how people remember and process information. 

Understanding its primacy and recency effects components can help professionals craft more effective experiences in digital design, marketing, education, or public speaking.

By strategically placing key information at the beginning and end of content, designers and marketers can enhance recall, engagement, and user satisfaction. 

Leveraging this effect ensures that essential messages are retained, leading to better decision-making and improved interactions.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the serial position effect?

The serial position effect is a cognitive psychology principle stating that people remember the first and last items in a sequence better than the middle ones.

This phenomenon impacts memory recall in various contexts, such as reading a list, navigating a website, or processing information in a presentation.

What is the serial position effect in Simply Psychology?

In Simply Psychology, the serial position effect is explained as part of memory recall theories, particularly within Atkinson and Shiffrin’s multi-store memory model.

The primacy effect occurs when the first items in a list are transferred to long-term memory through rehearsal. 

In contrast, the recency effect occurs when the last items remain in short-term memory.

Studies by psychologists like Hermann Ebbinghaus support this effect, showing how the order of presented information influences recall.

What is the serial position effect in design?

In UX/UI design, marketing, and product strategy, the serial position effect helps structure content to improve user engagement and recall.

Designers leverage this principle by placing essential elements—such as CTAs, navigation items, and key messages—at the beginning and end of a user’s journey. 

For example, websites often highlight essential information (mission statement, product benefits) and reinforce it at the bottom (pricing, contact information, security assurances) to maximize retention.

What are the three models of memory?

Cognitive psychology identifies three main models of memory:

1. Multi-store model (Atkinson & Shiffrin, 1968) – This model explains memory as a process involving three stages: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). Information passes from sensory memory to STM and then to LTM through rehearsal.
2. Working Memory Model (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974): This model expands on short-term memory, proposing different components, such as the phonological loop (verbal memory), visuospatial sketchpad (visual memory), and central executive (decision-making control).
3. Levels of Processing Model (Craik & Lockhart, 1972) – This theory suggests that memory retention depends on how deeply information is processed. Shallow processing (e.g., recognizing a word’s appearance) leads to weaker recall, whereas deep processing (e.g., associating a word with meaning) strengthens long-term memory.