Choose an Experiment

1

Serial Position Effect

2

Levels of Processing

3

Working Memory Span

4

False Memory

5

Recognition vs Recall

Serial Position Effect

Instructions: You'll see 15 words, one at a time. Pay attention and try to remember them all. Afterward, type out as many words as you can recall in any order.
Ready?
Total Recalled
0/15
First 5 Words
0
Middle Words
0
Last 5 Words
0

🧠 What's Happening?

The Serial Position Effect shows that we remember items from the beginning (primacy effect) and end (recency effect) of a list better than items in the middle.

The primacy effect occurs because early items get more rehearsal time. The recency effect happens because recent items are still in short-term memory.

📚 Teaching Application

Place the most important information at the beginning and end of your lessons. Use breaks or activities to create multiple "beginnings" and "endings" throughout longer sessions.

Levels of Processing

Instructions: You'll see words with different types of questions. Answer each question, then we'll test your memory. Some questions are about how the word looks (shallow processing), while others are about meaning (deep processing).
Ready?

Shallow Processing
0%
Deep Processing
0%
Difference
0%

🧠 What's Happening?

Levels of Processing Theory suggests that deeper, more meaningful processing of information leads to better memory than shallow, surface-level processing.

Thinking about a word's meaning creates more connections in memory than simply noting its visual features.

📚 Teaching Application

Encourage students to process material deeply by asking "why" and "how" questions, making personal connections, and relating new information to existing knowledge rather than just re-reading or highlighting.

Working Memory Span

Instructions: Watch the grid carefully. Some squares will light up in sequence. After they finish, click the squares in the same order they appeared. The sequences will get longer as you progress!

Level: 3 squares

Press Start to begin

Your Span
0
Average Adult
4-5

🧠 What's Happening?

Working memory is the cognitive system that temporarily holds and manipulates information. Most adults can hold about 4 items in working memory at once (the classic "7±2" has been revised downward).

Working memory capacity varies between individuals and is linked to learning ability, attention, and problem-solving.

📚 Teaching Application

Break complex information into smaller chunks. Avoid presenting too many new elements at once. Use visual aids to offload working memory demands, and build on prior knowledge to reduce cognitive load.

False Memory (DRM Paradigm)

Instructions: You'll see a list of words one at a time. Try to remember them. Then you'll be shown a set of words and asked to identify which ones you saw before.
Ready?
Correct Hits
0/8
False Alarms
0
Critical Lure
-

🧠 What's Happening?

The DRM (Deese-Roediger-McDermott) paradigm demonstrates how easily false memories form. All the study words were related to a critical word that was never shown (the "lure").

Many people confidently "remember" seeing the lure because our memories are reconstructive—we fill in gaps based on associations and expectations.

📚 Teaching Application

Help students understand that memory is not like a video recording. Encourage fact-checking, note-taking, and healthy skepticism about the accuracy of recalled information, especially eyewitness accounts.

Recognition vs Recall

Instructions: You'll study a list of words. Then you'll complete two tests: first, a recall test (type the words you remember), then a recognition test (identify words from a list). Compare your performance!
Ready?
Recall Score
0%
Recognition Score
0%
Difference
0%

🧠 What's Happening?

Recognition (identifying previously seen items) is typically easier than recall (retrieving information without cues) because recognition only requires a familiarity judgment, while recall requires searching memory and reconstructing information.

📚 Teaching Application

Multiple-choice tests (recognition) are easier than short-answer or essay tests (recall). For deeper learning, use practice tests that require recall. The extra effort of retrieval practice strengthens memory more than recognition tasks.