The weight placed at the beginning of a word, the moment the evaluation solidifies.

The weight placed at the beginning of a word, the moment the evaluation solidifies.

The meanings and impressions people receive of the same content vary greatly depending on the order in which the information is presented. The first words and evaluations given quietly take root as the foundation of thought and determine the direction of interpretation of the information that follows. This is the phenomenon known as the beginning effect. Even when people think they are treating all information equally, they actually construct the whole picture using the first sentence or the first adjective as a reference point.

For example, if one hears "smart, meticulous, and a little cold" and the other "cold, but meticulous and smart," the information contained is the same, but the received image of the person is clearly different. The first characteristic placed first becomes the framework for evaluation, and subsequent information is more likely to be interpreted as material reinforcing that framework. At this point, one is not modifying the evaluation, but merely adding meaning to an already solidified impression.

Behind the strong operation of this initial effect lies the existence of intuitive thinking, which is called System 1. According to Daniel Kahneman, System 1 works quickly and automatically, requiring little effort. Examining the sequence and going back to a blank slate for evaluation is burdensome for this thinking. Therefore, it accepts the first information it is given as a premise and proceeds to understand it in a way that is consistent with that premise.

System 1 is especially dominant when one is fatigued or in situations where decisions must be made in a hurry. System 2, which is responsible for careful and analytical consideration, is less likely to move, and as a result, the coincidence of the order of information determines the quality of the decision. Because initial impressions provide a comfortable consistency, people are more inclined to defend them than to question them.

The first-impression effect has a broad impact on employment interviews, evaluative writing, press headlines, and even everyday personality reviews. What is said, as well as the order in which it is said, directs understanding. It is important for the judges to tentatively put aside their initial impressions and question whether the subsequent information can be evaluated independently. The initial effect is a quiet habit of human cognition in which the arrangement of information shapes thought more than its content.