Syntax and serial recall: How language supports short-term memory for order

The extent to which familiar syntax supports short-term serial recall of visually presented six-item sequences was shown by the superior recall of lists in which item pairs appeared in the order of “adjective–noun” (items 1–2, 3–4, 5–6)—congruent with English syntax—compared to when the order of items within pairs was reversed. The findings complement other evidence suggesting that short-term memory is an assemblage of language processing and production processes more than it is a bespoke short-term memory storage system.