Serial Position Effect

계열 위치 효과

People remember the first and last items in a list far better than the middle ones — a U-shaped recall curve.

Also known as: Primacy effectRecency effect
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First observed by Hermann Ebbinghaus, later split by experimental psychology into a primacy effect (the first item had time to reach long-term memory) and a recency effect (the last item is still fresh in short-term memory).

Placing the most important item first or last in a navigation menu or list measurably improves recall and click-through. It's also why middle-ranked products in online reviews are structurally disadvantaged compared to the first and last ones shown.

The curve below draws a U-shape as the first and last list items glow while the middle ones fade — a direct visualisation of recall strength.

When to use

When ordering a nav menu or list, put whatever you most want remembered first or last. Treat the middle as the spot where things get lost.