First impression (psychology)
First impressions in psychology refer to the immediate judgments and evaluations one person makes about another upon first encountering them. Research indicates that these impressions can form within mere seconds and are often surprisingly detailed and accurate. This ability, described by psychologist Nalini Ambady as a "thin slice" of experience, is believed to be an evolved trait that helped early humans navigate social interactions and assess potential threats. Numerous studies have demonstrated that first impressions can be formed from various types of communication—visual, audio, or verbal—yielding significant insights into social dynamics within just a few moments of observation.
Findings from extensive research suggest that individuals can effectively judge traits such as sociability and competence based solely on brief interactions, even as short as six seconds of viewing video clips of teachers or political candidates. However, first impressions are not infallible; cultural differences and physical appearance can distort perceptions, leading to biased judgments. For example, individuals deemed attractive are often assumed to possess a range of positive traits, while those with "baby face" features might be inaccurately perceived as more trustworthy. Overall, while first impressions can provide valuable information, they also highlight the complexities and potential pitfalls of human social intuition.
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First impression (psychology)
A first impression is the initial concept that one person forms of another. Researchers in social psychology have found that impressions established within a few seconds of meeting someone are remarkably detailed and often surprisingly accurate. Nalini Ambady, professor of psychology at Stanford University and a leading researcher in first impressions, referred to the brief observational period as a “thin slice” of experience. She believed this ability evolved as a necessary means of defense in a more primitive time in human history. More than one hundred studies from researchers working on nonverbal communication, evolutionary psychology, and social cognition support the conclusion that such “thin slice” judgments are hardwired into the human brain and are based on biology, occurring outside conscious awareness and requiring no cognitive processing.
Overview
The foundational study concerning the accuracy of first impressions was conducted in 1966 at the University of Michigan, when two psychologists found that the ratings of students who were asked to rate one another on certain traits on the first day of class generally agreed with self-ratings. Agreement was particularly strong on the traits of “sociable” and “responsible.” Because the results were unexpected, researchers paid little attention to them for two decades, but, beginning in the late 1980s, the work of that first study was extended and replicated.
Regardless of the method of communication (visual, audio, verbal, or some combination of these), subsequent studies revealed that significant information related to social and interpersonal functioning can be deduced from just seconds of observation. Researchers have studied first impressions of various groups. For example, college students who evaluated the effectiveness of teachers they did not know on the basis of silent video clips mirrored the ratings of actual students who evaluated the teachers’ effectiveness at the end of a semester-long course. Even when the video clips were cut to as little as six seconds, students, considering such variables as “accepting,” “confident,” and “competent,” were able to predict the most effective teachers with a high degree of accuracy. Researchers studying the US congressional elections of 2000, 2002, and 2004 were able to predict election outcomes by measuring inferences voters made concerning candidates’ competence based solely on facial appearance of the candidates. Studies have shown that as little as a tenth of a second is enough time for people to make a specific trait inference from facial appearance. Additional time increases confidence levels in judgments, but it does not alter initial impressions.
First impressions are not always accurate. Some people are better at making snap judgments than others. Additionally, cultural differences can create false impressions. Physical features, which strongly affect first impressions, can lead an observer astray. Attractive people not only impress observers as more physically appealing, but observers also assume physically attractive people are more fit, more intelligent, more perceptive, more amiable, and more complex than their unattractive counterparts. Research has shown that teachers give attractive students more attention and higher grades, and attractive defendants receive less harsh punishments in court. In a similar fashion, people whose faces are round with large eyes and small nose and chin, the typical “baby face,” are perceived to be trustworthy and naïve, sometimes a dangerously false impression. Social intuition can be remarkably right, but it can also be oblivious to reality. The relationship between first impressions and other phenomena, such as stereotypes and heuristics, have also been explored.
Bibliography
Ambady, Nalini. “The Perils of Pondering: Intuition and Thin Slice Judgments.” Psychological Inquiry 21.4 (2010): 271–278. Print.
Ambady, Nalini, and John Joseph Skowronski, eds. First Impressions. New York: Guilford, 2008. Print.
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Willis, Janine, and Alexander Todorov. “First Impressions: Making Up Your Mind after a 100-Ms Exposure to a Face.” Psychological Science 17.7 (2006): 592–98. Print.
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