Interpersonal social psychology is an extremely subtle science. There are generally accepted, basic principles to which it obeys, but we all know for sure that each person is individual, and his perception of the environment is just as individual. It is explained by many factors and terms, and one of them is the effect of primacy. What is this conclusion and how can it be characterized? We will understand this with the help of dictionaries and illustrative examples.
The official interpretation of the term
In psychology, the primary effect is the higher probability of remembering exactly the first elements of a series or the first actions and actions of a person, or first impressions of something or someone. At the same time, those actions / elements / impressions that are, as it were, in the middle or at the end, are deliberately overlooked by the memory, or stored in it at the superficial level. In the future, when a person encounters an object that previously made an impression on him, the same primary effect is triggered, due to which he recalls only the very initial sensations and is guided exclusively by those, making further conclusions and conclusions.
Dictionaries give us a fairly complete and clear concept of the term, but for some people, scientific words remain a mystery. Therefore, we decided to illustrate all the intricacies of this phenomenon with illustrative examples and in a more accessible language.
Sociological description
We decided to start with this category, since we all live in society and most of the interactions occur precisely with other people, and not with objects or objects. People evoke in us the most powerful emotions, memories, feelings, certain personalities are key in our lives. Recall the old quote: "The first impression cannot be made twice." Why do they say that? The thing is that most people remember other individuals based on their starting communication experience (even if it is nonverbal). Further actions of a person are always justified by his initial actions, manners, words. We always "try on" the image of a man, seen in him for the first time, on his modern look, even if he has changed. Let's look at the simplest example: you meet a little daughter of your friends 5 years old, she is a fair-haired cute little girl. After your communication with your comrades ends for 15 years, and now you meet again, and you see before you is no longer a little girl, an adult woman. But you can’t get rid of the feeling that the baby is sitting somewhere inside her.
Other examples
The primary effect most often occurs in the circle of colleagues when certain people come to the company for the first time, demonstrating themselves from one side or another. In most cases, directors remember their subordinates exactly as they appeared to them for an interview. Perhaps that is why we are so worried before the next interview with the employer and carefully think through it. A similar primary effect occurs in friendly companies. When new people come, you mark each of them with a word or associate with one or another association. This is what this person will be in your consciousness throughout the entire time, even if in the future he will completely change for the rest of the world. Someone will forever be the soul of the company for you, someone will be the silent sage, and someone will be the guy from the neighboring yard, even if he lives in a completely different area.
Positive VS Negative
That ill-fated first impression is the key to our success. We make pictures in the head about others, relying on their first actions, and they do exactly the same. Therefore, it is extremely important to form a positive opinion about yourself in the brain of one or another person (or rather, immediately everyone you know). The fact is that the effect of primacy is a kind of filter. When you say something to a specific person, or do something, he will let it all pass through his “primacy filter”. Therefore, if you appeared before him initially in a negative light, then even the most noble deeds will now be shrouded in a dark shade, they will look for negative background and tricks. On the contrary, if the first impression of you was amazing, then any flaws you will get away with - you’ll think, it’s possible with anything, it’ll fix it.
Personalities and society
All that was said above is information that is simultaneously relevant to all people in the world and does not. The fact is that the effect of primacy is the perception of only starting forms and movements, which is only one of several. That is, it is like brown color of the eyes - it is common among all people on the globe, but not inherent in everyone. There are people who, on the contrary, “cling” to the last actions of their acquaintances, or remember only the “middle” situations that they liked, and set them as the “filter”. Moreover, our mental activity is greatly corrected by the environment in which we are - culture, politics, the media, etc. Therefore, the brain adapts to such a variety, and even if for you the effect of primacy is an atypical moment, it can arise when thinking about specific schemes or ideas. For example, your opinion about a certain actor, about a distant city, about an advertised product. In this case, the rest you will think completely differently.
Getting ready for the exam!
Often the primary effect occurs at those moments when we need to remember a large amount of information. Most often this happens before passing the exams, when you have to read, write and study a lot. If your brain works in such a way - it remembers the very first thing, then you can use it. Study the most important from the beginning, and leave the less significant for later. The second useful point drawn from this type of thinking is the use of synonyms. You will ideally remember the first ticket from those that you learned, and when in the next you come across the same words or numbers that were in the first, you will automatically remember this information.
But we draw your attention to the fact that if there is too much information, the effect of primacy can be suppressed, and the only thing you can remember is the last phrases that you taught.