Next-in-line effect
Memory effect
When people take turns speaking in a set order, we tend to forget what the person right before us said, because we are busy preparing our own words.
In everyday life
At a wedding where guests give toasts one after another, you cannot remember a word of the toast given just before yours.
At a team meeting where everyone gives a weekend update around the table, you have no idea what the colleague seated just before you said while you rehearsed your own.
Why your mind does this
Attention and memory are limited, so the brain stores more of what we think about deeply, use actively or expect to need, and less of what we barely noticed or know we can look up. This puts our limited memory where it pays off most.
Its family, in 30 seconds: How it was stored
How to spot it
Notice when you are rehearsing your own lines while someone else is still talking.
What you can do
Jot down your main point before the round begins, so you can listen fully to the person who speaks before you.
Same family: How it was stored
SourcesBrenner (1973)·Wikipedia