Primacy Bias

EXAMPLE
During a project pitch day, the first team presents a click, confident demo that impresses the panel. Even though later teams deliver stronger data and more practical solutions, the judges keep comparing every idea to that opening pitch.
In discussions, they recall the clarity and enthusiasm of the first team more than the later evidence, and by the end, they rank it highest.
Their decision isn’t based on overall merit, but on the powerful first impression that anchored their evaluation from the start.

This bias often overlaps with:

• Anchoring bias, where initial data anchors future thinking. 
• Confirmation bias, where people seek evidence to support their first impressions. 

What Is Primacy Bias?

Primary bias refers to the tendency to remember and rely more heavily on the first information encountered when making judgments. It is closely linked to the primacy effect, a concept in cognitive psychology that explains why early items in a sequence are more likely to be recalled than later ones. 

In this bias, individuals place disproportionate weight on the first information they receive, using it as a reference point for later decisions and judgments. 

In simple terms, primacy bias means:

• First impressions matter more than later evidence. 
• Initial information becomes a mental “anchor” for future judgments. 
• New information is often filtered through that first impression. 

This bias can affect how we evaluate people, products, ideas, and even life events. 
 

How Does Primacy Bias Work?

Let’s understand how primacy bias works:
 

Memory retention

Our long-term memory tends to process the first information more effectively than the rest. It cements the information, which is one of the main reasons for the primacy effect bias. 

One could say that it is an unconscious process of the brain that stores the first information in our long-term memory and the most recent information in our short-term memory.
 

Repetition

This is another unconscious process in which our brain repeats the first piece of information stored in our long-term memory. 

For instance, while grocery shopping, we always remember the first items on the list because humans tend to repeat information in our brains. We recall certain information due to attentional bias, which also links with primacy bias.
 

Anchoring point

As mentioned, an anchoring point is another reason primacy bias occurs, as individuals tend to sway toward the initial information provided when making subsequent judgments. 

Simply put, it influences our thought process and decision-making, and when we get anchored to one point, our brain tends to filter out other information, considering the first information reliable. This could be due to multiple factors such as mood, experiences, and beliefs.

Primacy Bias vs Recency Biases: Key Differences

Here are the key differences between primacy and recency bias:
 

What Are the Causes of Primacy Bias?

Here are the key causes of primacy bias:

• Memory structure → Our brains encode early information more strongly into long-term memory, making it easier to recall later. 

• Limited attention span → As time passes, mental fatigue reduces attention, so later details are processed less effectively. 

• Emotional impact → First impressions often carry emotional weight, making them more memorable. 

• Lack of comparison → At the start, we have nothing to compare new information with, so the first input sets the standard.  
• Habitual thinking → Once a judgement is formed, people prefer consistency and resist changing their minds.

Primacy Bias Examples

The following are some of the common examples of how primacy bias occurs in daily life: 
 

Example 1: Primacy Bias In Politics

Research has shown that a high position on the ballot list influences the electoral process, a major form of primacy bias in politics. People are more likely to vote for the candidate that appears first on the list, creating a particular psychological bias.
The presence of a candidate at the top of the list also suggests that the candidate holds significant influence, which could be attributed to many factors. However, this leads to greater electoral progress and success for the candidate.

Example 2: Primacy Bias In Marketing

Nowadays, technology giants are setting the benchmark by offering innovative marketing strategies to capture users’ attention.
Guerrilla marketing and pre-promotional marketing tactics help brands present themselves to compel the audience. Before a product enters the market, pre-promotional campaigns are launched to ensure people hear information about the product in a positive, engaging manner, since first impressions matter.

Example 3: Primacy Bias In Interviews

A qualified candidate appears in an interview with extraordinary skills and experience, but initially comes across as rather unappealing. Due to primacy bias, the first impression tarnishes the candidate’s image. The hiring team finds it unprofessional and forms a negative impression, which is why they lose the chance to be hired.
Similarly, suppose a candidate answers the initial questions incorrectly during the hiring process. They have a high chance of not being hired, even if the remaining questions were answered correctly. This is the primacy bias effect: a wrong first impression is likely to be remembered, just as an excellent first impression is.

How to Avoid Primacy Bias?

You can’t eliminate primacy bias completely, but you can reduce its impact with these strategies:

1. Delay your judgment and avoid forming conclusions until you have seen all the information. 
2. Take structured notes to note something important. Write down observations to compare later, rather than relying on memory. 
3. Seek multiple perspectives when assessing something. Ask others for their views to balance your own impressions. 
4. Revisit the initial assumptions that you made. Periodically, question whether your first impression still holds. 
5. Use checklists or scoring systems in hiring or evaluations. Use objective criteria instead of gut feelings. 
6. Increase your awareness of this bias. Simply knowing makes you more mindful of it. 

Primacy Bias in Psychology and Research

In psychological studies, primacy bias can lead to research bias and distort these:

• Data interpretation
• Hypothesis evaluation
• Peer review processes

Researchers may favour early findings and ignore later contradictory data. That’s why blind studies, replication, and peer reviews are essential. 
 

Primacy Bias vs Anchoring Bias

Although primacy bias and anchoring bias are similar, they differ slightly: 

Primacy bias → Focuses on the order of information, like what comes first. 

Anchoring bias → Focuses on any initial number of ideas, regardless of order. 

Both show how early information shapes thinking. 

Frequently Asked Questions