Order matters: How altering the sequence of performance events shapes perceived quality formation

•Stakeholder perceptions are shaped by more than just level (valence) of performance.•If we vary the order of identical performance events, this alters perceptions.•If we vary the time interval between these events, this also alters perceptions.•These effects generally hold across two experiments and one archival study.•However, these effects are short-lived; new performances can overwrite them.