Since the serial-position effect has been demonstrated to diminish as learning progresses, it was hypothesized that only a weak recency serial-position effect would result from demand recall of concepts in a complex problem-solving situation. Six groups of 14 Ss solved 15 problems, 5 soluble by each of 3 concepts (rules), recalled from prior instruction. Each group received a different permutation of the 3 concepts. The serial-position effect appeared to be minimal for demand recall of concepts with the predicted weak recency effect (.01 < p < .05) but no primacy effect.
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