Primacy Effect - GCSE Psychology Definition

Reviewed by: Lucy Vinson

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The primacy effect is a psychological concept that describes how people tend to remember the first pieces of information theyencounter better than the information that comes later. For example, if a teacher reads a list of words to a class, students are more likely to remember the words at the beginning of the list. This happens because the first information received is thought to be stored in long-term memory. Understanding the primacy effect can help students learn how to improve their study habits by focusing more attention on the beginning of study sessions.

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Lucy Vinson

Reviewer: Lucy Vinson

Expertise: Psychology Content Creator

Lucy has been a part of Save My Exams since 2024 and is responsible for all things Psychology & Social Science in her role as Subject Lead. Prior to this, Lucy taught for 5 years, including Computing (KS3), Geography (KS3 & GCSE) and Psychology A Level as a Subject Lead for 4 years. She loves teaching research methods and psychopathology. Outside of the classroom, she has provided pastoral support for hundreds of boarding students over a four year period as a boarding house tutor.

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