Watch for
Judging quality based on first and last impressions while ignoring the middle.
Memory & AttentionBias #63
Serial Position Effect
We remember the first and last items best.
The tendency to recall the first items (primacy effect) and last items (recency effect) in a sequence far better than middle items.
Why it matters: Classic finding in memory research. Explains interview order effects and list recall patterns.
Try this
Pay extra attention to middle items or positions in any sequence.
Real-world example
Remembering the first and last items on a shopping list while forgetting what was in the middle.
Key researchers
Hermann Ebbinghaus
First described in 1913
Psychological mechanism
Dual memory systems. Early items enter long-term memory through rehearsal. Late items are still in working memory. Middle items are displaced from working memory before being encoded into long-term storage.
Seminal research
Hermann Ebbinghaus (1913) memory research on the forgetting curve and serial position.
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 ResearchEbbinghaus (1913) — Memory research
EducationalAPA Dictionary entry