Prepare for the MCAT Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

The serial position effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals are more likely to remember items at the beginning and the end of a list, which are known as the primacy and recency effects, respectively. When someone recalls a list of items, they tend to remember the first few items well due to increased attention and rehearsal (the primacy effect), as well as the last few items due to short-term memory retention (the recency effect). Thus, the correct answer acknowledges that both effects are involved in the serial position effect, encompassing a more complete understanding of how we recall information from lists.

The other choices reflect misinterpretations of the serial position effect. For instance, focusing solely on recency ignores the essential role of the primacy effect. Remembering items only at the beginning simplifies the phenomenon and overlooks the significance of items at the end. Associating items with numbers touches on mnemonic strategies, which are distinct from the serial position effect and do not directly relate to the concepts of primacy and recency in list recall.