Which effect allows the recall of items at the beginning of a list or recent events?

The recall of items at the beginning of a list or recent events is primarily attributed to the recency effect. This phenomenon occurs because the most recently presented information, or the last items on a list, are still in short-term memory when a person is asked to recall them. This effect is particularly notable when individuals are given a list to memorize; they tend to remember the last few items better than those in the middle.

In addition to the recency effect, the primary effect plays a role, but it specifically relates to better recall of the first items on a list due to rehearsing them and transferring them to long-term memory. However, since the question is focused on recent events and the last items in a list, the recency effect is clearly the correct choice.