# serial position effect

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The tendency of a person to recall the first and last items in a series best, and the middle items worst.

## Etymology
Coined by Hermann Ebbinghaus.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/serial-position-effect