Jumping to conclusions after a first interaction is a deep-seated tendency. It’s common, but hasty judgments often lead to poor outcomes. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology:General revealed that better decision-making happens when you approach the issue the next day after a good night's sleep. Time, space, and sleep help develop a clearer perspective and allow for a more thorough understanding before making rapid evaluations.

Primacy effect

The primacy effect is responsible for the impact of first impressions. Memory tends to be stronger for the first interaction with anything. The first items on any list are assumed to be more important and are often given greater weight than others. This leads to the initial encounter colouring the entire perception of the place or a person. As this bias takes hold, people continue to think in line with the evaluations made from the first impressions, limiting their ability to consider new or conflicting information.

Literally ‘sleeping on it’

This bias can lead to rushed decisions that may not be the best. Researchers suggest literally "sleeping on it." After a day, the primacy bias weakens, allowing for more rational and thoughtful decision-making. This marks the essential role of sleep in enhancing decision-making abilities and memory consolidation. 

Acting solely on first impressions can be impulsive, as evaluations are often based on incomplete information. However, resting your brain gives it time to process the bigger picture, leading to more balanced decisions, and better results.

Real-world implications

The primacy effect has many real-world applications. In job interviews, for example, early candidates might overshadow equally qualified ones due to the order in which they are interviewed. On-the-spot decisions may be flawed because of this first-order bias. Similarly, in restaurants, the review of the meal may be affected by the first impression, which can be either positive or negative, and the entire review will be fixated on that angle, instead of a balanced approach. Brain tends to latch onto the first piece of information it receives, building elaborate networks of evaluations and judgments around that single piece, creating an incomplete picture.

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