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Serial Position Effect
When presented with a list of things, people are better at remembering the first and last items, than those in the middle.
Similar psychology:
Last updated: 03/11/2026
How to utilise this in your designs
With a long 'Get Started' checklist, you could place a 'remind me later' option at the very top, where the primacy effect means people see it before drifting off mid-list.
Example from
Fantastical
Try tucking advanced items into a collapsed section of an onboarding to-do list, so fewer steps sit in the middle of the visible list, where they're most easily lost.
Example from
Stuff
When stock of something a user might want runs low, one option is to flag it at the very top of the feed, among the first things people see and remember.
Example from
Too Good To Go
In an endlessly scrolling feed, consider periodically breaking it with markers showing how far someone has gone, so the long middle doesn't blur into one.
Example from
John Lewis
Possible impacts
Putting the most urgent or compelling message at the top of a feed or list could draw more attention to it, as people tend to notice and remember the first items.
Keeping lists and onboarding steps short might help users understand them, as fewer items end up in the middle, where people remember the least.
Leading with the most compelling feature, rather than building up to it, could raise perceived value, as the first item sets the reference point for judging the rest.
Placing the strongest pricing tier or offer first or last on a page may increase purchases, as the serial position effect makes these the most memorable positions.
Written by Peter Ramsey
Published: