Hello Minecraft Redditors

I will be referencing the MSM model (Multi-store memory) model in this comment. The MSM model basically states that there are 3 forms of memory, the sensory memory, the short-term memory, and the long-term memory. New information such as visual information or auditorial information. When attention is drawn to a specific information the memory is transferred to the short-term memory store (STM). If the information is rehearsed, or is focused on and repeated for a certain period of time, it is encoded into the long-term memory store (LTM). The STM can store about 5-9 items/memory (referencing the study from Miller (1956)) and its duration of short term memory seems to be between 15 and 30 seconds, according to Atkinson and Shiffrin (1971). The LTM has unlimited capacity and duration.

Another term we must understand is explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory is the conscious, intentional recollection of previous experiences and information, in this case pictures of the builds are explicit memory. Implicit memory is memory in which previous experiences aid in the performance of a task without conscious awareness, such as the steps you take in judging a build, or when you are grabbing a coffee in Starbucks; these are also things that the person do not plan to remember, they just happen and the memory is rehearsed and stored in the brain.

Now let's examine the case with the moderators.
The implicit memory of judging a build is recalled unconsciously as the moderator clicks the link of the submission. New information which are the shaded builds are received and is stored in the STM. Then there are two ways this could go.

1. The moderator does not put attention on the received data since he/she is here to judge shaded builds. The memory is kept in the short-term memory store and after 15-30 seconds the memory is lost. No first impression influence whatsoever since the memory is completely forgotten. If the impression has to take effect, it must pass through into the LTM so that it can be preserved. In this scenario it does not. Case closed.

2. The moderator unconsciously or consciously puts attention on the shaded builds to marvel its excellent with the shaders. The memory is under attention and is now rehearsed in the STM and is transferred to the LTM before/as the moderator clicks "Next Album". The first impression is then formed within the first moment of information input and is rehearsed subconsciously, as suggested by Willis and Todorov (2006).

Now this might seem like the first impression is taking full effect and is manipulating the moderator's perceptions. And you would be right, but you are wrong as well.

Bertram Gawronski has conducted a study on the influence of first impression on the persistence of a thought. This study is similar to the Big Mac example I stated in my previous comment, that was theoretical, here is an actual study conducted in real life. (https://psychcentral.com/news/2011/01/19/first-impressions-are-more-lasting-than-once-thought/22769.html) I don't expect anyone to read it but I will describe it. Basically participants are first shown an individual, but they either had a white coloured background behind the individual or a black coloured one, hinting a good and bad impression. Participants are then shown contradictory information about the individual and are asked to talk about their thoughts about the person at that stage. This is similar to the process from shaded to non-shaded builds, where contradictory or different information is presented. Results suggested that the original background colour still had an influence on the perception of the participants. However, this doesn't mean it's definite. Gawronski has also suggested that the first impression's influence can be easily toned down by changing the context, to the point where it is negligible, meaning changing the condition of which the participants are asked in. When the researchers subsequently measured participants’ spontaneous reactions to an image of the target person, they found the new information influenced participants’ reactions only when the person was presented against the background in which the new information had been learned, meaning the value is toned down.

That's exactly how the situation is with the moderators. If the condition is changed (asking for personal opinion to criticism based on 5 factors), the first impression's influence is lost, and a new possible impression could form. What you have raising concerns for is the implicit influence (so-called "subconscious" level you talked about) of the first impression, but in this study it demonstrate that the implicit influence can be easily manipulated with the change of context.

Thirdly, shaders should still be allowed. With this much evidence to support that it has no influence whatsoever, I would beg to differ why should shaders be banned. To that I ask, why not? People such as the winner of this competition have spoken about their personal opinions on the looks of the game, although there is a standardised version of the game which is judged by, this doesn't mean that the non-shaded version of Minecraft is the "correct" Minecraft, nor is the shaded one. There is no such thing as a correct Minecraft that everyone should play in. You can play in whatever way you like, modded, vanilla, SMP, hardcore, creative, PvP all alike. It's still Minecraft, therefore we cannot ignore it.

Though I do think putting more controls on it is the middle ground for standardising submissions, I can't help but notice that the moderators would basically accept that they have been wrong all along and they have judged shaded builds unfairly if they chose to do so when they have not in the slightest. There is no honour in putting a dick move on the moderators, they have done nothing wrong, and I have empirical support for it.

Now let me contemplate on my life decisions after writing this "ESSAY".