Definition
A principle of learning which states that the first way a skill or piece of information is taught creates a strong, lasting impression that is difficult to change later. What a learner is taught first tends to be retained as the correct way, even if it was wrong or incomplete.
Plain English
Whatever you learn first sticks the hardest. If it is taught wrong the first time, fixing it later is much harder than getting it right from the start.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight instructor training when discussing how to teach new skills, procedures, and habits correctly from the beginning.
Derivation
From the Latin 'primus' meaning 'first.' The same root gives us 'primary' and 'prime.' In learning theory it points to the lasting power of the first impression.
Why Pilots Care
Instructors must present every new concept accurately the first time, because an early misunderstanding created by primacy is very difficult to overwrite later in training.
Analogy
Primacy is like making the first track through fresh snow. Later tracks tend to follow the first one, even if it was not the best path.
Grounding Statement
A student who first learns a checklist step correctly is more likely to repeat it correctly later without extra effort.
Intuition Check
Primacy does not just mean “importance.” In this training context, it means the lasting power of what is learned first.
Example Sentence 1
Because of the law of primacy, the instructor demonstrated the engine-start flow correctly the first time rather than letting the student guess and correcting it afterward.
Example Sentence 2
Because of primacy, the student’s first exposure to the traffic pattern had to be flawless or later corrections would meet resistance.