Impressions the Subject of First

¶ … Impressions

The subject of first impressions is a fascinating topic from a psychological as well as a sociological point-of-view. The study of first impressions reveals much about the human nature of perception and the way that various categories, presumptions and assumptions about other human beings are almost immediately formed.

From one point-of-view the understanding of first impression lies mainly in the evolutionary psychological past of the human species and is based on instinctual as well as necessary learned categories and psychological responses. This is often related to issues of survival. However there are also other views that place more emphasis on learned socio-psychological responses that come into play in first impressions. These relate to prior categorizations and other psychological mechanisms. These instances and the need to immediately ascertain the nature and intension of the other person is something that deeply influences human interaction in many modern contexts. This includes the assessment of another person in dating as well as in job interviewing situations. The following study is intended to shed some light on aspects of this phenomenon.

2. Background information

The issue of first impressions, from a social and psychological point-of-view, is related to the study of human perception.

Human perception is firstly influenced by physical aspects such as sight, color, etc. However, perception is also concerned with the way that these physical inputs are interpreted and affected by various psychological and social criteria. The first impressions of another person are therefore influenced by factors such as appearance and categories related to prior data and perceptions. An important aspect that many studies point to is that first impression can be "wrong" or be altered by later impressions. However studies have also found that first impressions tend to strongly influence later perceptions and judgments. (Mc Keachie and Doyle 1970, pp. 552-553) Another aspect that has to be taken into account is context. Context influences the type and the nature of the first impressions. For example, the various prejudices and categories that function within a dating situation will be different from those in an interview situation.

3. Main discussion

The central hypothesis of this discussion is that first impressions are essentially constructs that are composed of a wide array of prior data and input which relate to the social as well as the psychological makeup of the individual. This includes the residue of media and other extraneous influences that affect the first and most immediate impression of another person. This view does not exclude more instinctual aspects but attempts to show that learned and accumulated categories and perceptions play a major role in first impressions.

One of aspects that will be discussed will be role of the media in determining the categories of first impressions. Another related aspect which is central to this study is the view that first impressions tend to be highly influential in later assessments and perceptions.

In other words, the later systematic evaluations of individuals are disproportionately influenced and even determined by the first impressions. This is the case even if first impressions are erroneous. It has been found that generally first impressions tend to color and affect later perceptions. To this end the psychological as well as the psycho-social aspects of perception have been researched to provide insight into various aspects of the way that we interact with others and construct impressions.

In the first instance, emphasis should be placed on the term 'impression' as well as the clear understanding of how impressions relate to perceptual issues. Perception has been defined as the..."Cognitive judgment and understanding of a particular person, group, action or idea." (Perceptions) First impressions therefore refer to non-systematic as opposed to systematic perceptions. This means that first impressions are immediate perceptions and assessments that are not processed in a systematic or analytical way. First impressions are based on numerous criteria and are dependant on different contexts and individual psychological predilections. These are often based on aspects such as physical appearance; non-verbal communication; familiarity and behavior. (Perceptions)

There is little doubt that first impression is extremely important in the assessment of other individuals and plays an important part in the way we deal with others. They tend to have a determining and long-term effect. The following study provides insight into the process of first impression formation.

Studies show that first impressions are easily formed, difficult to change, and have a long-lasting influence. Rather than absorbing each piece of new information about an individual in a vacuum, it is common for people to invoke a preexisting prototype or schema based on some aspect of the person (for example, "grandmother" or "graduate student"), modifying it with specific information about the particular individual to arrive at an overall first impression.

(Social perception)

The above refers to categorization and schema formation. "A schema... is pretty much the same as a perceptual set....It's important to bear in mind, though, that it is not only our visual perception which will be influenced by schemata, but also our perception of other people." (Perception of others) Schema formation relates to the process of first impressions in that prior categories, cues and possibly prejudices and stereotypes, can be imposed on the first meeting and assessment of another individual. "It can be dangerous because it allows people to infer many things from a very limited amount of information, which partially explains why first impressions are often wrong." (Social perception)

Categorization is a process which places the perceived object within the parameters of certain preconceived and learnt notions. Neisser (1967) states that perceptions can be described as "...a two-phase process. When we look at visual material, the "image" produced by the material persists for a few seconds after the stimulus is removed. In the time interval, the visual material is broken down into parts and successively categorized." (Mc Keachie and Doyle. 1970. p. 169)

This description also relates to the formation of first impressions, in that these impressions are the immediate perception this is broken down into categories.

The various concepts and categories that could form part of first impressions are various. One of the variables that are important is the strength of the different concepts. Another variable in understanding the way that first impressions are categorized is the amount of cues or perceptions that have been used before. "We hypothesize that the greater the number of times cues have been categorized as belonging within a concept without disconfirmation, the greater the concept strength." (Mc Keachie and Doyle. 1970. p. 169)

In other words, first impressions may be based on prior cues or categories which have become strengthened by use and confirmation. To use a simple example, the first impression of a person who appears dirty and shabbily dressed may be negative due to prior categorization that have been established in previous encounters - even though after meeting the person this perception may change. This process becomes more complex in other situations; for example in dating or first-time romantic encounters, where various categories based on previous experience may influence the first encounter.

A further theoretical component that is often mentioned in the literature is attribution theory. This theory looks at the various factors that determine how we perceive and react to others. An aspect of this theory is that we tend to attribute preference to aspects that are abnormal or which stand out when first meeting another person. These attributes often lead to negative impressions. (Perception of others) related theoretical view is to see first impressions as a primacy effect. This refers to the way that we give 'weight' to or emphasize certain aspects over others in first impressions. Studies have suggested that our judgments of other people are weighted averages of the information we have about them. In other words, in reaching decisions about other peoples personality, abilities and so on, we tend to take everything we know about them, giving some information a greater weight, and then produce an average of the information we have. Negative information will generally be given more weight than positive information."

(Perception of others)

Psychologists like Fritz Heider have suggested the importance of drawing inferences about people as a major aspect of attribution theory. This refers to the fact that we draw immediate conclusions about a person which goes far beyond the immediate sensory perception of that person. "We see a person act and immediately reach conclusions that go beyond mere sensory information." (Attribution Theory of Fritz Heider)

The media and media images that are projected can also serve as an important source of the various categories, cues and stereotypes that come into play in first impressions. This is a particularly the case with regard to dating and first-time romantic encounters where stereotypical image relating to dress, appearance and behavior that have been projected by the media form an important part of the complex psychology of first impressions.

4. Analysis

The above views and theories about the way that perceptions work in first impressions suggest a number of interesting issues. Studies have shown that first impressions and perceptions are often dependant on previously formed judgments. (Mc Keachie and Doyle. 1970. p. 552)

This is an often a determining factor in contexts such as interviewing for jobs. Research shows that "...the perception of a person is strongly influenced by the accuracy of early impressions." (Mc Keachie and Doyle. 1970. p. 552) The immediate perception of a person may therefore be colored by concepts and learnt assumptions that are applied to the individuals according to various cues.

One aspect in this regard that strands out in many studies is that while first- time perceptions can be erroneous and might be based on false preconceptions and stereotypes, yet these first impression can be extremely strong and also tend to influence later assessments of the person. This relates to the previously mentioned finding that first impressions tend often to focus on abnormal or different attributes, rather than on conventional or more positive attributes. This can, for instance, have a direct affect on a job interview where the wrong first impression may be given.

A people are especially attentive to negative factors, and if these are present, they will outweigh the positive ones in generating impressions. One reason first impressions are so indelible is that people have a tendency to interpret new information about a person in a light that will reinforce their first impression. They also tend to remember the first impression, or overall schema, better than any subsequent corrections. Thus if a person whom one thinks of as competent makes a mistake, it will tend to be overlooked and eventually forgotten, and the original impression is the one that will prevail. Conversely, one will tend to forget or undervalue good work performed by someone initially judged to be incompetent.

Social perception)

The above is quoted at length as it illustrates some of the central points about first impressions. It also points to just how important the first impression is and the way that this can affect later judgments and assessments. In an interview situation if the first impression made, possibly through attitude or dress, is negative then any subsequent mistake in the interview will be seen in a negative light; whereas, if the first impression in good then later errors will not be in such a negative light.

Another study supports this view of the importance of first impressions. "As many as four out of five hiring decisions are made within the first 10 minutes of an interview, according to some studies. Those decisions can be based on little more than the applicant's clothing or hairstyle, a subconscious stereotype or a preconceived notion about a particular candidate or type of candidate."(Gassner L. 2004)

It has also been found that attribution and categorization in first impressions are often-based strongly on appearance. One study found that, "...first impressions are driven by body language, posture, facial expressions and eye contact, according to psychological studies. Such cues send us signals about a candidate's preparation, confidence and even grooming habits." Furthermore, studies show that more 'attractive' people are also found to receive more positive first responses from interviewers. This brings another important aspect into play into the understanding of first impressions; namely the role that stereotypes in the media play in forming images of what is attractive and what is not. This aspect is reiterated in many studies.