Primacy Effect: How to Use First Impressions Deliberately

Do you know the feeling of meeting someone and thinking within the first few minutes, “I like this person” or “I do not like them”? Then, weeks later, you realise that first impression still shapes your view, even though you know much more about them. Or you make a small mistake at the start of a job interview, then do everything else well, but still feel that one moment hanging over you. This can cost you opportunities, trust, and relationships that might otherwise have gone well.

I have been looking at cognitive biases for years and see the primacy effect everywhere: in myself, in conversations, job interviews, and online dating. Research clearly shows that our brains give more weight to the first information and interpret what comes next through that lens. Whether it is work, a relationship, a new friendship, or online shopping, the first impression shapes how you judge something overall.

You can learn to handle first impressions more deliberately. The primacy effect is not an unavoidable fate. It is a psychological pattern you can understand and use, or at least reduce its negative effects.

In this article, you will learn what the primacy effect is and why your brain works this way. I will share everyday examples from work, relationships, and shopping decisions. You will also get six practical strategies to help you handle first impressions more deliberately and avoid falling into the same trap each time.

What is the primacy effect?

The primacy effect describes your brain’s tendency to give more weight to the first information or impressions and remember them better than what comes later. It is part of the “serial position effect”: information at the beginning has a particularly strong influence, while the rest is often remembered less clearly.

In everyday life, this means that the first impression, whether it is of a person, an idea, or a product, can have an outsized influence on your overall judgement. Later information is often filtered through this initial anchor. If something fits the first impression, you are more likely to notice it. If it conflicts with that impression, you need much more evidence to change your mind.

Imagine reading online reviews for a new smartphone. The first review is enthusiastic: “Best phone ever!” You are convinced right away. Then you see mixed reviews, but your mind stays with “This phone is great.” Later criticism has less impact because your first picture of the product is already very positive. Or you meet someone on a date. At first, they are reserved and shy. Your mind records, “They are not very interested.” Even when they later open up, joke, and tell interesting stories, you interpret much of it through that first impression.

Why does it happen?

Your brain uses shortcuts to make the complex world easier to handle. An early impression acts as an anchor or “shortcut”, so you do not have to reassess everything from scratch. This saves energy and speeds up decisions.

Information you notice first gets more attention and more repetition in your mind. It is stored more deeply and given more weight than later information. Researchers suggest that early information has more time to enter long-term memory before new impressions arrive. Your brain also uses the first impression as a frame: everything that follows is compared with that beginning.

This is useful when you have to decide quickly. But it can also make you judge people or situations wrongly because the start was not ideal. You give the first impression too much weight and what happens next too little.

Everyday examples

The primacy effect shows up everywhere in life. Here are four situations you may have experienced:

Job interview: You arrive a few minutes late, feel stressed, and your clothes are not sitting right. The other person’s first impression is that you are unreliable and unprepared. Even if you answer confidently and have good ideas later, that first impression stays in the back of their mind and affects how they judge your answers.

A new colleague on the team: You meet a new colleague, and she seems organised and helpful from the start. You take her small later mistakes less seriously because you have already filed her away as “highly competent”. The primacy effect makes you overemphasise her strengths and overlook her weaknesses.

An argument in the family: You start a conversation with a family member on tense terms. The first sentence is an accusation or a cutting remark. That opening colours the whole conversation. Even if you say conciliatory things later, the impression remains: “That was a negative conversation.”

A training course or seminar: You join an online seminar. The first slide is confusing, and the trainer seems unsure. You immediately think, “This will be boring” and switch off. Even if the material becomes useful later, you take in less because your first impression has already affected your attention.

With and without awareness of the primacy effect

Awareness can make a big difference. Here are two everyday examples:

Meeting your partner’s parents for the first time

Without awareness: You come straight from work, feel irritable, seem distracted, and give short answers. The parents see you as uninterested and hold on to that image even when you are friendlier later. The relationship starts on a negative note.

With awareness: You deliberately make time for a short reset, change your clothes, arrive a little early, greet the parents warmly, and show genuine interest. The first impression is warm and open. Later moments of uncertainty are seen as nervousness, not as part of your character.

A team meeting with critical feedback

Without awareness: You start the meeting with a sharp criticism: “The project went really badly.” The first impression is negative, the mood turns sour, and every constructive idea that follows sounds like more criticism. The team leaves frustrated.

With awareness: You begin by recognising what went well: “We achieved a lot despite difficult conditions.” Then you raise the problems and work through solutions together. The positive opening acts as an anchor. The feedback is heard as a chance to improve.

How to respond

The primacy effect is automatic, but you can counter it deliberately. Here are six strategies:

1. Question your own first impressions. After meeting someone or receiving important information, pause and ask, “How much is my judgement based on the first impression?” Later, write down what changed as you learned more about the person or topic.
2. Take more time and gather more information. Do not make important decisions about a job, relationship, or major purchase based only on one meeting or article. Plan to use at least two or three different sources of information or meetings before making a final judgement.
3. Put important messages first. In presentations, conversations, and emails, state your main point clearly at the beginning because it is more likely to stick. The same applies in your personal life: if something matters to you, such as an apology or a request, open the conversation with it.
4. Give people a deliberate second chance. If someone makes a poor first impression, choose to wait for another situation or perspective before deciding who they are. Remember that stress, mood, or context can distort a first impression.
5. Use a clear order in learning and information materials. When learning or explaining complex topics, use the primacy effect by putting the most important points first and briefly repeating them. This makes them more likely to stay in memory and be recalled later.
6. Plan how you start conversations. Pay attention to how you open a conversation. A respectful, calm start sets a positive tone and affects the whole interaction. In conflicts, a respectful first sentence can make a constructive conversation more likely.

Key takeaways

• The primacy effect makes you give more weight to the first information and remember it better than what follows.
• Your brain uses a first impression as an anchor to process the world faster. This saves energy, but it can also distort your judgement.
• First impressions are not always right. Stress, context, and bias can distort them significantly.
• You can use the effect deliberately by putting important messages first in conversations, presentations, and emails.
• Try this week: deliberately give a person or situation a “second chance” before forming a final judgement.