This is a Lexicon entry: the mechanism, when it shows up, and the countermeasure. The full correction, with real-world cases and the audit prompt, hasn't been written yet.
When it shows up
Job interviews (first and last candidates are remembered most clearly). Presentations (opening and closing remarks stick; the middle fades). Grocery lists (first and last items recalled; middle items forgotten). Performance reviews (recent and early events weighted disproportionately over the full review period).
Failure mode
Systematic neglect of middle-position information. In sequential evaluation contexts (hiring, grading, judging), position effects create unfair advantages independent of quality. The most important information may be in the middle - and may therefore be lost.
Countermeasure
Write things down. Randomize presentation order across evaluations. In important sequential tasks, review middle-position items specifically. For your own presentations: put the most important point first or last, never in the middle.
Related concepts
Also connected in the mapAttentional Bias·Anchoring Bias·The Peak-End Rule·The Serial Position Effect
Origin
Also revealed
Entry #127 of 631 in The Lexicon · see the full Lexicon