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Transcript
[Three panelists are discussing who should win a talent competition they are judging. The two candidates are awaiting their judgment. One is sitting down holding a guitar. The other is standing up, wearing sunglasses and holding a microphone].
Narrator: Picture two candidates who are up for the same role. Let's call them Brett and Lee. They've both been interviewed by a three-person panel, and it's time to make a decision.
The panelists get together for a discussion. Panelist One makes a case for Brett. Panelist Two is torn but since the first person felt so strongly they both vote the same way. Panelist Three thinks Lee is the better choice. But now it doesn't matter, Brett's already won the vote so there's no point in arguing. The outcome is a unanimous vote for Brett.
But what if Panelist Three went first, and the second person then agreed? Now we have a different unanimous outcome.
What's happening here is a cascade effect. This is when a group is influenced by who speaks first. The more support that the first idea gets the more momentum builds, and the harder it becomes to make an opposing argument. It can mean that candidates don't get the fair treatment they deserve, and the panel can't be sure they made the right choice.
