What cognitive bias occurs when recent information weighs more heavily in decision-making?

The concept being described pertains to how recent information can disproportionately influence our judgments and decisions. This bias is commonly referred to as the recency effect. In decision-making processes, individuals often give greater weight to the most recent events or information they have encountered, rather than considering all relevant data equally.

This bias can lead to skewed or less-informed decisions since individuals may overlook older, yet still relevant, information that could provide a more balanced perspective. For instance, in a workplace setting, if an employee has recently performed exceptionally well, their recent performance may overshadow previous shortcomings, leading managers to overlook ongoing issues. Understanding the recency effect is vital, particularly in organizational management and decision-making contexts, where objectivity is essential for fair evaluations and judgments.

The presence of this cognitive bias highlights the importance of being aware of how time and the context of information can shape our perceptions and decisions.