Do first impressions really matter that much?
Whether on a job interview or in a lab meeting, how you look and act can matter as much as your ideas. Many of the people you meet in grad school will have a great influence over your future. Instructors.
First impressions are crucial. They can make or break an opportunity. It's human nature to make a judgement about someone when you first meet them, but did you know that people can formulate an opinion about you in less than 20 seconds!
According to researchers from McGill University, the answer is yes, although it may be more difficult than in more casual settings. Forming an accurate impression of an individual on a first date is important because people often rely on these impressions in deciding whether to pursue a romantic relationship.
First Impressions Last
The reason why first impressions are so important is that they last well beyond that moment. This is thanks to something called the primacy effect, which means that when someone experiences something before other things in a sequence, they remember that first thing more.
In real life, the 'cover' of people, what they wear, how they look, and their behavior can often misrepresent what they really are. Like the cover of a book, first impressions are not always right, it can be inaccurate, and not as true as what it really is.
Creating a good first impression can generate a lot of personal power. A good first impression also tends to provide opportunities. Potential customers would be more likely to become actual customers. Referrals through networking can result in new job offers.
Based on our subjective perception, we give the first assessments to the person. However, we do not have enough information to make an objective assessment. Therefore, the brain makes up what we do not know about this person, using generalizations and stereotypes.
People develop first impressions of you even before you open your mouth. Research suggests that your appearance affects how trustworthy, promiscuous, and powerful people think you are. You can change some people's first impressions of you by changing your behavior and how you present yourself.
While it is important to make a good first impression, your last impression is well, more lasting. It is by definition the last time someone or an organization will see you so it a forever impression. A first impression is as it sounds – it is the first of many impressions.
Behavioral scientists call it the first impression bias: a limitation in human information processing that causes us to make quick and incomplete observations about others based on the first piece of information we perceive. First impressions are often very important, as they lead to quick assumptions and judgements.
Do people judge others based on first impressions?
Studies of first impressions have determined that people don't just judge you quickly. They judge you, literally, in the blink of the eye -- in a tenth of a second to be exact.
First impressions, according to a recent Psychology Today article, are correct only about 30 percent of the time. They should never, of course, be the basis for a hiring decision; however, research has shown bias can — perhaps subconsciously — affect the process of interviewing candidates.
While it is important to make a good first impression, your last impression is well, more lasting. It is by definition the last time someone or an organization will see you so it a forever impression. A first impression is as it sounds – it is the first of many impressions.
- Not Dressing for Success. ...
- Holding Your Cellphone in Your Hand. ...
- Taking a Vape Break. ...
- Giving a Weak Handshake. ...
- Forgetting to Take Time to Listen.
By witnessing your skills and personality over a longer period of time, their perception of you can grow. Remember that repeated, small interactions build trust fastest. A Harvard study revealed that it typically takes eight subsequent positive encounters to change another person's negative opinion of you.
A common problem with first impressions is the insufficient quantity, quality and accuracy of what is seen, heard or experienced. That doesn't always lead to helpful perception, analysis and judgment.
A study from Princeton University has found that people make judgements on attractiveness, likability and trustworthiness within a fraction of a second after seeing someone. Even if presented with lots of opposing evidence, we tend to rely on our own initial impressions of people.
The reason people don't often change their initial impressions is that our brain is optimized to conserve energy; if there's not a compelling reason to re-evaluate something, then we won't. So you need to manufacture a reason by surprising them.
“I would never give anyone a blanket statement that they should trust their first impressions, or not,” says Tufts psychologist Nalini Ambady. “That's too dependent on the person, the context of the first impression, everything.” In other words, be wary of first impressions.
'You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression'. Research has shown that within those initial 7 seconds, people will form 11 impressions of you. This is known as the 7/11 rule.
What is the psychology behind first impressions?
In many ways, the snap judgment of first impressions is related to the halo effect – where the perception of positive qualities in one thing or part gives rise to the perception of similar qualities in related things or in the whole.
First impressions matter, for good and bad. They are fine when you like someone on first meeting; they are not so fine when the first meeting is negative. Positive first impressions lead to social cohesion; negative first impressions lead to biases and social prejudice.
Research has shown that men rate women as more attractive if their first impression is their beautiful, smiling face. But women's preferences for men are exactly the opposite– they find that the most attractive first impression is when a man is brooding and mysterious (see here: “the smolder“).
First impression is a new legal issue or interpretation that is brought before a court. In a case of first impression, the exact issue before the court has not been addressed by that court, or within that court's jurisdiction, thus there is no binding authority on that matter.
While all of these factors can come into play, social psychologist and Harvard researcher Amy Cuddy says the intangible traits of trustworthiness and confidence account for 80 to 90 percent of an overall first impression.
People form 90 % of their impression of a person in the first four minutes, most of which is actually clinched in the first seven seconds! Appearances do matter. The looks we are born with (height, weight, skin colour), but also how we dress and groom ourselves (look clean and well put-together).
In the first eight seconds after meeting a prospect, he evaluates your social standing. If he sees you of comparable business or social standing, you are considered suitable for further interaction. If you appear to be of higher status, you're admired and cultivated as a valuable contact.
We have all heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Experts say: 55 percent of first impressions are made by what we see (visual). 38 percent is the way we hear your first words (vocal).
Tenth of a second
There are a variety of studies that look at how quickly we make first impressions, some say it only takes milli-seconds while others suggest longer. Two psychologists out of Princeton, for example, concluded that it only takes a TENTH of a second to form a first impression!
“A first impression could be misleading,” says professor Alexander Todorov, author of Face Value: The Irresistible Influence of First Impressions and an academic at Princeton University. “Trying to figure out what a person is like from a simple exposure is basically ridiculous.
Are first impressions really the last ones?
Making a first impression isn't one of them. First impressions are lasting. Once a first impression is made, if it's less than great, unfortunately it takes a long time to change it. Experts say it takes between five and 15 seconds for someone to form a first impression about a person.
An important part of the process of recovering from a less-than-perfect first impression is to make sure that the second time (and every time going forward) consistently highlights the qualities you'd like to be known for and eliminates the qualities you want to steer clear of.
'You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression'. Research has shown that within those initial 7 seconds, people will form 11 impressions of you. This is known as the 7/11 rule.
Our new research shows that when changing our minds, not all information is considered equally, and our first impressions count.
First impressions are based on a wide range of characteristics: age, race, culture, language, gender, physical appearance, accent, posture, voice, number of people present, economic status, and time allowed to process.
People tend to get attached to their initial impressions of others and find it very difficult to change their opinion, even when presented with lots of evidence to the contrary. As a result, it's important to be aware of how one comes across to others during a first meeting.
- Apologise, but not too much.
- Decide whether it's worth fretting over.
- Pivot.
- Ask for advice.
- Put some thought into your clothing.
- Be honest, persistent and consistent.
- Realise that it's only the beginning.
Apologize when necessary
Don't focus on the reasons why you did or said something; simply apologize for your behavior and state your desire to rectify the relationship and start over. Avoid apologizing over and over, bringing up that negative first encounter and reminding the person of what they first thought of you.