Modality effect
Memory effect
The last few items of a list are remembered better when we hear them spoken than when we read them. Hearing gives the end of a list an extra boost in short-term memory.
In everyday life
When a coworker reads the final action items aloud at the close of a meeting, people remember them better than when the items only appear on a slide.
When a friend reads you her grocery items out loud, the final few stick easily, but when she texts you the same items, the last ones slip away.
Why your mind does this
We cannot hold every moment of an experience or every item in a list in mind. The brain keeps a few standout pieces, such as the most intense moment, the ending, or the first and last items, and lets them stand for the whole. This makes memories compact and quick to use.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Key elements
How to spot it
Notice whether the final items you need to remember reached you by reading or by hearing.
What you can do
Use this effect to your advantage: say the last points of an important message out loud, to others or to yourself.
Same family: Key elements
SourcesPenney (1989)·Wikipedia