Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Recall is a type of memory retrieval where one must search for information without cues, essentially 'filling in the blanks.'
Related terms
Cued Recall: This involves remembering an item of information in response to a retrieval cue. Itโs like being given hints about which section or shelf that book might be on in the library.
Free Recall: This involves recalling as many items as possible, in any order without any cues. Like walking into that library and trying to remember every single book title you've ever read there.
This refers to our tendency to recall best the last (recency effect) and first items (primacy effect) in a list. Imagine if someone asked what books were at either end of each shelf - those would likely be the ones you remember best.