Studies show that people who sit in the front row learn and retain more than others in the audience, partially because those in the front row are more eager to learn, and they show more attention to the speaker in order to avoid being called on. Those in the middle sections are the next most attentive and ask the most questions, as the middle section is considered a safe area, surrounded by others. The side areas and back are the least responsive and attentive. In one experiment we conducted, we placed name cards on participants’ seats so they could not take their usual positions. We intentionally sat enthusiastic people to the sides and rear of the room, and well-known back-row hermits sat in the front. We found that this strategy not only increased the participation and recall of the normally negative participants who sat up front, it also decreased the participation and recall of the usually positive participants who had been sent to the back.
* hermit: 은둔자