Picture yourself as the twentieth person interviewing for your ideal position, or imagine being the tenth performer auditioning for a starring role in a major production. Despite possessing identical qualifications and talent as the nineteen candidates who preceded you, recent psychological research reveals you face an unexpected disadvantage.
A groundbreaking study has uncovered a pervasive unconscious bias that affects how we evaluate people we encounter in sequence. The research demonstrates that our descriptions and judgments of individuals become increasingly negative the later we meet them in a series—a phenomenon that could have profound implications for everything from job interviews to dating apps.
The study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology on February 29, 2024.
Understanding the Serial Position-Negativity Effect
Researchers have identified and named this cognitive bias the “serial position-negativity effect,” representing a significant discovery in how human perception operates in sequential evaluation scenarios.
The underlying mechanism appears to stem from our natural tendency to seek differentiation. When encountering people sequentially, our minds automatically focus on distinctive attributes that set each new individual apart from those we’ve previously encountered. The critical insight from this research is that distinctive characteristics tend to skew negative when we’re forced to find unique descriptors for each person in a sequence.
This creates a cascading effect where later-encountered individuals receive increasingly unfavorable descriptions, not because they possess more negative qualities, but because our cognitive processes have exhausted the positive distinctive features available for description.
Experimental Evidence
The research team conducted multiple comprehensive experiments to validate their hypothesis. In their primary study, 992 participants recruited through Prolific Academic were asked to describe 20 different individuals based solely on their Facebook profile photographs.
The results were striking and consistent. Participants began their evaluations with notably positive language, averaging 6.2 positive descriptive words for the initial individuals they encountered. However, as they progressed through the sequence, their language became demonstrably more negative, ultimately dropping to an average of just 4.7 positive words by the time they reached the twentieth person.
A second experiment provided even more compelling evidence using real-world content. The researchers recruited 987 participants, maintaining demographic balance with approximately equal gender representation and an average age of 42 years. These participants viewed brief video clips from The Bachelor television series, where female contestants introduce themselves to make memorable first impressions.
The experimental design was particularly robust because the order of video presentations was randomized for each participant, eliminating any potential confounding variables related to the actual content or quality of the introductions. Despite this randomization, the pattern remained consistent: participants described the tenth woman they encountered significantly more negatively than the first, purely based on sequence position.
Furthermore, the research documented an additional dimension to this bias. As participants progressed through more encounters, their descriptions became not only more negative but also increasingly specific and unique. This suggests that the cognitive demand to find distinctive characteristics intensifies with each subsequent encounter, leading to more detailed but ultimately more critical assessments.
Future Research Directions
This discovery opens numerous avenues for continued investigation into human social perception and cognitive bias. The research team has outlined several priority areas for future study.
One crucial direction involves examining how individual personality traits and group memberships might moderate this effect. Understanding whether certain personality types or cultural backgrounds experience stronger or weaker manifestations of this bias could provide valuable insights for developing mitigation strategies.
The researchers also plan to investigate the persistence of these initial judgments. A key question remains whether the negative impressions formed during sequential encounters remain stable over time or can be modified through additional information or extended interaction.
Perhaps most importantly, the team intends to study how this bias manifests in real-world professional and social contexts. Understanding the specific impact on job interviews, performance evaluations, academic admissions, and other consequential sequential evaluation processes could lead to practical interventions and fairer assessment procedures.
Real-World Implications and Applications
The implications of this research extend far beyond academic psychology, touching virtually every aspect of life where sequential evaluation occurs. Job seekers who interview later in a recruitment process may face systematic disadvantage regardless of their qualifications. Similarly, performers, contestants, students, and even potential romantic partners encountered later in dating scenarios could suffer from this unconscious bias.
The findings suggest that awareness alone may not be sufficient to overcome this deeply ingrained cognitive tendency. Organizations and individuals involved in sequential evaluation processes may need to develop specific strategies and protocols to counteract this bias and ensure fair assessment.
For individuals, understanding this phenomenon provides valuable strategic insight. When possible, seeking earlier positions in evaluation sequences could provide a meaningful advantage. When this isn’t feasible, being aware that evaluators may unconsciously apply more critical standards can help in preparation and presentation strategies.
The research also highlights the importance of developing awareness about our own cognitive biases. Whether attending networking events, participating in speed dating, or conducting interviews, recognizing that our perceptions may become increasingly critical over time can help us make more conscious and fair evaluations.
Study Specifications
Journal: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publication Date: February 29, 2024 (Online ahead of print)
DOI: 10.1037/pspa0000383
Research Team:
- Alex Koch: Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
- Andrew Bromley: Booth School of Business, University of Chicago
- Johanna Woitzel: Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
- Hans Alves: Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum
Broader Context and Significance
This research contributes to our growing understanding of systematic biases in human judgment and decision-making. The serial position-negativity effect joins a well-documented catalog of cognitive biases that influence our perceptions and decisions in ways we rarely recognize consciously.
The discovery is particularly significant because it reveals how seemingly neutral processes—simply encountering people in sequence—can create unfair disadvantages for certain individuals. Unlike biases based on demographic characteristics or personal preferences, this effect operates purely on temporal sequence, making it both more universal and potentially more insidious.
Understanding these cognitive mechanisms represents a crucial step toward developing more equitable evaluation systems across professional, educational, and social contexts. As our society increasingly relies on systematic evaluation processes, from algorithmic screening to structured interviews, incorporating awareness of such biases becomes essential for maintaining fairness and maximizing the quality of our collective decisions.