Suffix effect
Memory effect
When an extra, irrelevant spoken word comes right after a spoken list, we recall the last items of the list less well. The add-on crowds out the final items in our short-term memory for speech sounds, while a beep or buzz has little effect.
In everyday life
A coworker reads you a string of room numbers and adds 'got it?' at the end, which makes the last number harder to hold on to.
The airport speaker announces your new gate number and the voice instantly adds 'thank you', and you realize the final digit is gone.
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 when a spoken number or list is followed by an extra spoken word that makes the last part slip away.
What you can do
When receiving spoken information, repeat the last item back right away, before anything else is said.
Same family: Key elements
SourcesCrowder & Morton (1969)·Morton, Crowder & Prussin (1971)