▁of ▁items : ▁the ▁rec ency ▁and ▁the ▁prim acy ▁effects . ▁The ▁rec ency ▁effect ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁short - term ▁memory ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁remember ▁the ▁most ▁recent ▁items , ▁and ▁the ▁prim acy ▁effect ▁occurs ▁when ▁the ▁long - term ▁memory ▁has ▁encoded ▁the ▁earlier ▁items . ▁The ▁rec ency ▁effect ▁can ▁be ▁elimin ated ▁if ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁inter ference ▁between ▁the ▁input ▁and ▁the ▁output ▁of ▁information ▁extending ▁longer ▁than ▁the ▁holding ▁time ▁of ▁short - term ▁memory ▁( 1 5 – 3 0 ▁seconds ). ▁This ▁occurs ▁when ▁a ▁person ▁is ▁given ▁subsequent ▁information ▁to ▁recall ▁preceding ▁the ▁recall ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁information . ▁The ▁prim acy ▁effect , ▁however , ▁is ▁not ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁inter ference ▁of ▁recall . ▁The ▁elim ination ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁few ▁items ▁from ▁memory ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁disp lacement ▁of ▁these ▁items ▁from ▁short ▁term ▁memory , ▁by ▁the ▁dist ract ing ▁task . ▁As ▁they ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁rec ited ▁and ▁re he ars ed , ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁moved ▁into ▁long - term ▁memory ▁and ▁are ▁thus ▁lost . ▁A ▁task ▁as ▁simple ▁as ▁counting ▁backwards ▁can ▁change ▁memory ▁recall ; ▁however ▁an ▁empty ▁delay ▁interval ▁has ▁no ▁effect . ▁This ▁is ▁because ▁the ▁person ▁can ▁continue ▁to ▁re he arse ▁the ▁items ▁in ▁their ▁working ▁memory ▁to ▁be ▁remembered ▁without ▁inter ference . ▁C ohen ▁( 1 9 8 9 ) ▁found ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁better ▁recall ▁for ▁an ▁action ▁in ▁the ▁presence ▁of