Case file
Suffix Effect
- Filed under
- What Should We Remember
The charge
The suffix effect is the drop in recall for the last items in an auditory list when an extra, irrelevant sound or word is added at the end. A meaningless trailing addition can wipe out the usual recency advantage.
How it operates
The final auditory items rely partly on a fragile short-lived acoustic trace. An added suffix overwrites or interferes with that trace, reducing recall of the true ending items.
Logged incidents
- Incident 01
A verbal checklist is recalled less accurately when the speaker adds a casual 'okay?' after the last important item.
- Incident 02
A sales rep gives final contract terms verbally, then appends a joke, causing the buyer to misremember the closing details.
- Incident 03
An operations lead reads critical final steps aloud in a meeting and then tacks on unrelated chatter that blurs recall.
What to watch for
Notice whether the last spoken details become fuzzy after extra filler is added. Ask: "Did an irrelevant trailing comment interfere with what I just heard?"
Recommended action
Keep endings clean: pause after the final item, repeat the last items, and provide written confirmation. In high-stakes settings, avoid filler after key auditory instructions.
Known associates
- Peak-End RuleThe peak-end rule is the tendency to judge an experience mainly by its most intense moment and how it ended,…
- Leveling and SharpeningLeveling and sharpening describes how memories and retellings simplify some details while exaggerating others.
- Misinformation EffectThe misinformation effect is the distortion of memory after exposure to misleading post-event information.
- Serial-Position EffectThe serial-position effect is the overall tendency to remember items at the beginning and end of a sequence…
- Duration NeglectDuration neglect is the tendency to pay too little attention to how long an experience lasted when later…
- Modality EffectThe modality effect is the tendency for memory performance to differ depending on whether information is…
Source of record