Primacy effect: first impressions count (with tips on how to use it)

Steffen Schulz

Published on May 19, 2023

You only have a few seconds.
A user clicks on your landing page.
An applicant enters the office.
A potential customer hears your first argument.

More is often decided in precisely these moments than we realize. Because our brain is not objective. It loves the beginning. What comes first becomes deeply engrained. Psychologists call this the primacy effect: information that we perceive first has a much stronger influence on our evaluation than everything that follows.

Whether you are formulating headlines, presenting a product or scoring points in a job interview. The order of your content is not a coincidence, but a strategic lever.

Those who understand the primacy effect can control perception in a targeted manner: fairly, effectively and often with a surprisingly large impact.

What is the primacy effect?

The primacy effect describes the phenomenon that information that is presented first is given above-average weight in perception and memory. Arguments mentioned early, first impressions or initial product features are remembered more deeply and have a lasting influence on subsequent evaluations.

The roots of this effect lie in memory psychology: as early as the 1950s, researchers such as Solomon Asch observed that test subjects evaluated identical information differently - depending on the order in which it was presented. Positive characteristics at the beginning of a description led to a more positive judgment overall, even if negative aspects were also mentioned later.

The primacy effect is part of a larger pattern: the Sequence effect. This also includes the recency effect, in which the last thing heard or seen is remembered more strongly. Which effect predominates depends on the context - for example, the attention span or the time between the information and the decision.

Related cognitive distortions such as the Halo effect show how strongly first impressions can distort our perception. In contrast to the primacy effect, however, the halo effect refers more strongly to the overshadowing of a single positive (or negative) characteristic by other characteristics.

How does the primacy effect work from the point of view of psychology?

Why does the first thing so often stick in the mind and not the best?

The answer lies in the interaction of Memory structure, attention and cognitive economy.

1. memory processing: early input stays longer

The psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus showed with his "forgetting curve" that information at the beginning of a list is better anchored in long-term memory. The reason: at the beginning, the cognitive load is low, new information is actively processed and transferred to long-term memory - an advantage that is often no longer available to information heard later.

2. selective attention: what comes first gets focus

Attention is highest at the beginning of an information chain. Whether reading, listening or scrolling - the first impression is created in a mentally alert state. As a result, the beginning receives more "mental resources", is evaluated more consciously and is more emotionally charged.

3. cognitive economy: quick judgments save energy

The brain loves shortcuts. The primacy effect is a form of this mental efficiency strategy: a first impression helps us to make a quick judgment - without analyzing all subsequent information equally. This cognitive bias saves energy, but can also lead to misjudgements.

4. study situation: evidence from classical experiments

Primacy effect vs. recency effect: which is more effective and when?

Primacy and recency are opponents, but not opposites. Both belong to the so-called Sequence effect and influence how information is evaluated and remembered. The context is decisive: sometimes the beginning dominates, sometimes the end.

Definition & differences

Effect	Description	Typical influence
Primacy effect	Early information is weighted more heavily.	With long-term memory & conscious processing
Recency effect	Late information is better remembered in the short term.	For spontaneous decisions & short reaction times

Both effects are based on the serial position curvewhich shows: The beginning and end are preferably remembered - the middle often falls through.

Psychological mechanics

The Primacy effect benefits from deep processing: information at the beginning receives more attention, is more strongly linked to previous knowledge and transferred to long-term memory.

The Recency effect uses short-term memory: the latest information is still present and influences decisions immediately before they are forgotten.

When which effect dominates

Time interval to the decision:

Long-term effect → Primacy (e.g. arguments in a presentation, evaluation of applicants)
Short-term effect → Recency (e.g. last impression during a sales pitch, conclusion of a meeting)

Amount of information & load:

High cognitive load → Recency dominates
Structured recording → Primacy effect has a stronger impact

Distraction or multitasking:

Recency benefits from little post-processing
Primacy needs focus

Decision tree: Which effect is more dominant?

Context: "Does someone have to remember or react spontaneously?"

Long-term + structured → Primacy
Short-term + emotional or spontaneous → Recency

Application examples from everyday life & work

The impact of the first and last impression is not only evident in laboratory studies or on landing pages, but also on a daily basis in a professional and private context. A few seconds often make the difference between likeability, credibility or attention. Anyone who is familiar with the primacy and recency effect will recognize these patterns and can use them in a targeted manner.

Job interviews

The first few minutes of a job interview shape the overall impression. Greeting, body language, the start of the interview. This is where the primacy effect unfolds its full impact. HR decision-makers often report that they "had a feeling after one or two minutes" - and the rest of the interview was more for confirmation or correction.

Teaching & Presentations

In lectures and teaching units, content is remembered much better at the beginning and end. Pedagogical concepts make targeted use of this: key terms, repetitions or emotional examples are deliberately placed at the beginning or end to maximize the learning effect.

Meetings & decision rounds

Whoever speaks first in meetings sets the tone. Arguments made early on become the reference point - later contributions are measured against this. At the same time, a strong last point (recency) can be the decisive factor if a decision is made immediately afterwards. Sequence also influences perception in group processes.

Online marketing & conversion optimization with the primacy effect

It takes seconds to decide whether a website is convincing, a product builds trust or a newsletter is read. This is precisely where the primacy effect comes into play and offers enormous potential for optimization.

🎯 Above-the-fold looks like a business card

What users see first shapes their entire perception. This starts with the headline, continues with the imagery and ends with the CTA in the visible area. If you don't immediately deliver relevance and clarity here, you lose the chance of conversion. Regardless of how well the rest is designed.

✏️ Headline order changes conversion effect

The effect can also be clearly seen in texts: if the strongest message is placed at the top, the dwell time and the likelihood of conversion increase. Particularly with landing pages, price boxes or feature lists, the order influences what sticks and what is overlooked.

🧪 A/B testing: bias due to sequence

An underestimated mistake in A/B tests is the order bias: If variant A is seen first, it is often remembered more strongly. Even with objectively equal performances. A rotating playout or targeted measurement of the recency effect in the test design helps here.

🔄 Funnel: From first contact to conversion

In the marketing funnel, the primacy effect is particularly effective in the awareness phase: ads, meta-text snippets, subject lines. They determine whether the ad is clicked or opened at all. The further down the funnel, the stronger the recency effect can be (e.g. at the point of purchase). But without a convincing introduction, the best conclusion is useless.

✅ Checklist: "7 tactics that can be implemented immediately"

Always put the most important statement in the first headline
Designing above-the-fold as a clear benefit focus
Start with the strongest statement in bullet points
Swap test variants regularly in the sequence
Keep the introduction to ads & mailings emotional or surprising
Check funnels for strong awareness entries
Sort product or service arguments according to effect, not logic

Avoid distortions or make targeted use of them?

The primacy effect is not a trick, but a basic psychological constant. If you know it, you can use it in communication in a targeted way. But this is also where the responsibility lies: there is often only a fine line between effective design and manipulative distortion.

Deliberate use instead of a psychological bag of tricks

The important thing is to Transparent and user-oriented to use. If you deliberately start a sales pitch with a positive first statement, you will ensure that the conversation goes better - without deceiving. However, if you deliberately start with irrelevant or exaggerated arguments just to push a decision, you are misusing the effect.

In recruiting, the primacy effect can lead to early applicants being given preferential treatment - regardless of qualifications. In employee evaluations or meetings, it is also crucial to consciously counteract distorted impressions and reflect neutrally.

Strategies for fair & effective use

Consciously plan sequences beforehand: What is at the beginning - and why?
Check valuations several times: Were other arguments only given less weight because they came later?
Consciously set opposites: Place critical points or dissenting opinions early on - especially in group processes.
Question attributions: Is the good impression justified - or just well positioned?
Transparent UX communication: The introduction can be emotional, but must match the actual performance.

Conclusion: Consciously decide what belongs at the beginning

The primacy effect makes it clear how strongly order influences our perception. Who comes first sets the framework for everything that follows. This applies to landing pages as well as meetings, job applications and sales pitches.

In marketing and communication in particular, this is not a psychological side effect, but a strategic lever. It is not enough to have good content. You also have to correctly placed become. And in such a way that they Clear, relevant and fair have an effect.

Because in the end, it's not about getting attention at any price. It's about choosing a structure that does justice to the message and not just the moment.