Watch for
Zoning out of conversations when you know you will speak next.
Memory & AttentionBias #70
Next-in-Line Effect
We forget what was said right before our turn.
The tendency to have poor memory for information spoken by the person immediately preceding you in a speaking order because your attention is focused on your own upcoming turn.
Why it matters: Demonstrated in classic social psychology experiments on attention and memory.
Try this
Take brief notes on what others say especially when waiting for your turn.
Real-world example
In a round-robin meeting you cannot remember what the person before you said because you were rehearsing your own point.
Key researchers
Michael Bond
First described in 1985
Psychological mechanism
Attentional switching and rehearsal blocking. Anticipating your own turn consumes working memory resources interfering with the encoding of preceding information.
Seminal research
Michael H. Bond (1985), "The next-in-line effect in social interaction."
Related Biases
Debrief
Biases are not character flaws. They are recurring patterns in how minds compress uncertainty, save energy, and narrate reality. Once you recognise the pattern, you can slow the decision down, test the assumption, and make space for a better explanation.
Sources
Original ResearchBond (1985) — Next-in-line effect
EducationalAPA Dictionary entry