Which term describes the cognitive bias where the first information seen dominates subsequent judgments?

Which term describes the cognitive bias where the first information seen dominates subsequent judgments?

• A. primacy errors
• B. anchoring
• C. confirmation bias
• D. recency bias

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is that the first information you encounter can powerfully shape all later judgments. This is known as primacy bias: the initial data acts as an anchor that colors how you interpret subsequent evidence, often giving it more weight than it deserves. In HR situations, that means the very first impression or the first piece of information about a person can disproportionately influence evaluations, decisions, or ratings that come after. This is the best fit for the prompt because it explicitly describes how the initial information dominates later judgments. While anchoring is a closely related concept and is often discussed in decision-making literature, the wording in this item aligns with primacy bias as the label for that phenomenon. Recency bias would emphasize the most recent information, not the first, and confirmation bias involves seeking out information that supports a preconception rather than weighting initial data.

The key idea here is that the first information you encounter can powerfully shape all later judgments. This is known as primacy bias: the initial data acts as an anchor that colors how you interpret subsequent evidence, often giving it more weight than it deserves. In HR situations, that means the very first impression or the first piece of information about a person can disproportionately influence evaluations, decisions, or ratings that come after.

This is the best fit for the prompt because it explicitly describes how the initial information dominates later judgments. While anchoring is a closely related concept and is often discussed in decision-making literature, the wording in this item aligns with primacy bias as the label for that phenomenon. Recency bias would emphasize the most recent information, not the first, and confirmation bias involves seeking out information that supports a preconception rather than weighting initial data.