Recency bias is a cognitive bias that favors recent events over historic ones, often leading to skewed perceptions and decisions based on the latest information available. It can distort evaluations in various contexts, such as employee assessments and financial investments, where recent performances may be weighted more heavily than past achievements or trends.
For example, during jury deliberations, a juror might give greater weight to the last closing argument heard, believing it to be more representative than previous arguments, despite the overall evidence presented.
To overcome recency bias, it's essential to keep a balanced perspective by reviewing data or historical performance over a longer time frame, ensuring that decisions aren't based solely on the most recent information.