Primacy Effect
The primacy effect is the tendency to remember, and be disproportionately influenced by, whatever came first in a sequence.
Full definition of Primacy Effect →:: COMPARE ::
Primacy effectvsRecency bias
The short answer
Same curve, opposite ends, different durability. Recency wins when you're asked immediately; primacy wins once time or distraction intervenes. The practical read: what you say first shapes the lasting impression, what you say last shapes the impression in the room.
Side by side
| Aspect | Primacy effect | Recency bias |
|---|---|---|
| Favours | First | Last |
| Mechanism | Rehearsal into storage | Still-active memory |
| Survives delay | Yes | No |
| Use it for | Lasting impressions | Immediate decisions |
What each one means
Recency Bias
Recency bias is giving the most recent information more weight in memory and judgment than it deserves relative to everything that came before.
Full definition of Recency Bias →