The fact that everyone remembers George Washington was the first president points to the primacy effect as a result of

• A. recognition.
• B. state-dependent learning.
• C. short-term memory storage.
• D. long-term memory storage.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of the primacy effect: It refers to the tendency to remember the first items in a list better than those in the middle or at the end.
2. Recognize that the primacy effect is often linked to long-term memory because the first items have more time to be encoded into long-term storage.
3. Consider the role of recognition: While recognition can aid in memory retrieval, it is not the primary reason for the primacy effect.
4. Evaluate state-dependent learning: This concept suggests that information is more easily recalled when in the same state as when it was learned, but it does not directly explain the primacy effect.
5. Conclude that the ability to remember George Washington as the first president is due to long-term memory storage, as the primacy effect facilitates the transfer of the first items into long-term memory.