The talk began by introducing order and framing effects, then moving onto an explanation of how they work and an evaluation of their presence within communication. A significant area of focus was how primacy effects can contribute to sexism by framing one specific gender as being more ‘agential and powerful’- for example, boys and girls, Mr and Mrs- and thus triggering subconscious stereotypes. 

The talk was widely enjoyed and seen as enlightening regarding the significance and influence of framing effects within communication and wider society.  

Poppy, Year 12

The event offered an engaging introduction to the concept of order effects, an idea highly relevant to Philosophy that explores how the sequence in which information is presented can influence our judgement and decisions. The talk began by clearly explaining what order effects are and how they shape our thinking in everyday situations. It then developed into a thought-provoking discussion on how these effects are connected to bigger issues such as gender stereotypes, highlighting how the order in which we encounter information about individuals can reinforce already prevalent biased assumptions. Overall, the session was extremely insightful and encouraged us to reflect more critically about how our perceptions are formed.

Darshini, Year 12