A recent study published in the journal Motivation Science demonstrates how our initial impressions can have a lasting impact on our decisions, often leading us to persistently choose inferior options even when better ones are available. Researchers found that when people form an early preference for a particular choice, they tend to stick with it, ignoring more rewarding alternatives. Previous research has shown that people tend to seek out rewarding outcomes more frequently than non-rewarding ones, which inherently biases their experiences. This can lead to a skewed perception of the effecti…