Ted, Sharon, and Bob Were a Committee Chosen to Hire

Multiple Choice

Ted, Sharon, and Bob were a committee chosen to hire a salesperson for the company where they worked. Gary, who on paper looked to be a very strong applicant, started out his interview by making an inappropriate comment regarding Sharon's appearance. Despite the fact that the rest of the interview was outstanding, Ted, Sharon, and Bob could not re-direct their focus away from Gary's initial comment. Later, when discussing Gary's interview, no one could recall anything other than the opening statement. This might be an example of__________

A) the recency effect.
B) the primacy effect.
C) sensory decay.
D) retrograde amnesia.