Which of the following concepts describes the situation when recent information weighs heavily on our impression of someone?

The recency effect refers to the phenomenon where the most recent information available influences our perception and judgments about a person or situation more significantly than earlier information. In social psychology, this concept is particularly relevant when forming impressions of individuals—as recent interactions or information can overshadow past experiences.

For instance, if someone meets a new colleague and the last interaction was particularly positive, that recent positive experience can heavily influence their overall perception of the colleague, even if previous encounters were less favorable. This effect highlights the human tendency to prioritize the latest experiences or data when evaluating others, impacting decisions and relationships based on freshness rather than totality of experience.

The primacy effect, while related, emphasizes the influence of the first pieces of information encountered, which is less relevant in this context. Confirmation bias involves favoring information that supports pre-existing beliefs, and the availability heuristic relates to reliance on immediate examples that come to mind. These concepts do not specifically address the weighting of recent information in forming impressions the way the recency effect does.