The first impression is formed on an intuitive level, a fraction of seconds is enough to form the primary idea of a person. Is the first impression of a person deceptive or not? Let's figure it out.
How is the first impression made?
The first impression may be based on an intuitive perception of a person, appearance and emotional level. Often the first impression is misleading. Scientists identified four main criteria that are paid attention to at the first meeting:
- physical strengths and weaknesses;
- clothes, hairstyle, accessories;
- the mood of the interlocutor, non-verbal messages;
- subjective attitude, the presence or absence of a desire to communicate.
Those qualities that a person first of all pays attention to play an important role in his self-esteem. If in his own appearance he does not like the eyes, then he will pay attention to the eyes of the interlocutor. Therefore, the first impression of the same person for each individual will be his own.
The influence of aromas
A person smells another person, perfume, skin aroma. An impression can be created based on odors and cause associations. If they are pleasant, then the person at the first meeting will like it. This is happening unconsciously. People with a similar skin odor are more likely to find a common language at their first meeting.
The first impression is deceptive, with subsequent communication it may turn out that the person is rude, arrogant and it is difficult to continue communicating with him. The first impression is created due to those qualities that a stranger is ready to show to others.
What pay attention at the first meeting?
Communicating people has always been an interesting topic for study by psychologists. The experiments showed that there are several indicators that can change the attitude of people around for the better or for worse.
Stigmatization - the formation of attitudes towards others based on social labels. Three effects have been identified that affect the attitude towards the stranger in the future:
- Primacy. The first impression is most valuable to others, they rely on it for a long time.
- "Boomerang". The stronger the desire to make a good impression, the more likely it is to achieve the opposite effect.
- Idealization. A good first impression allows you to ignore some of the shortcomings in the future.
Most likely, the first impression is deceptive; when studying a person, they pay attention to what is beneficial at the moment. If you want to see some qualities in a person, then they will certainly be found, confirming our expectations. The attitude at the first meeting will be what is comfortable at the moment.
The concept of "thin sections"
At the end of the twentieth century, the concept of "thin sections" was introduced. It confirms that the attitude towards people is often formed in the first seconds and leaves an imprint on further communication.
For the experiment, they showed clips without sound, which lasted for 10 seconds, and asked to make an impression of the person. For the purity of the experiment, the subjects were offered a scale of qualities.
Further, these videos were shown to other participants in the experiment for graduation on the same scale, but the duration of the video was only 5 seconds.
The third group of subjects watched videos for two seconds.
The results surprised everyone, the first impression coincided in many ways. From which it was concluded that two seconds are enough to form an opinion about a person. The rest of the time does not affect the first impression of a stranger.
Trust in the first seconds
To trust a stranger or not to trust, the brain makes a conclusion within 0.1 second. Confidence is made up of various factors, and the first impression is misleading. An example from the literature: the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast". Appearance frightened the girl, and she did not want to continue communication, but later it turned out that a sensitive young man was hiding behind an ugly appearance.
Psychological experiments prove that the time of the first communication does not affect perception in the future. Opinion is added in a split second. The first group of subjects was shown a photo of 0.1 seconds. The second group watched the photo as much as it considered necessary. The general opinion about people from the photo coincided.
A strong influence on the first opinion has a social status of a person. What others are paying attention to is clothing. The people who wore well-known brands' clothes at the first meeting seemed to be reliable and self-confident.
When interviewing for a job, they preferred those candidates who came in designer clothes and looked higher in social status. Although in reality it could have been otherwise.
Therefore, the first impression is misleading. A quote from folk wisdom that they are greeted by clothes and escorted by the mind only confirms this hypothesis. And as Coco Chanel said: "You will not have a second chance to make a first impression."
Intelligence and licentiousness
The ability to look into the interlocutor’s eyes speaks of a person with high intelligence. So perceive us around. If at the first meeting a person averts his eyes, then, most likely, an opinion will be formed about him as a person with a distant mind.
The first impression is misleading. For example, glasses in a restrained frame will create the opinion that you are an educated person. Although wearing glasses has nothing to do with IQ level.
To create the impression of an educated person, then during a conversation you need to look into the interlocutor's eyes.
Scientists in England conducted an experiment among men. They were given photographs of women with tattoos on various parts of the body and without drawings on the body. The assessment was carried out in three ways:
- alcohol consumption;
- attractiveness;
- moral qualities.
Based on the test, scientists concluded that women who have tattoos on open parts of the body are perceived by men as lovers of alcoholic beverages and leading immoral lives.
Is a person successful?
To create a good opinion of yourself in the eyes of others, clothing is needed. People who wear a business suit are perceived by others as more successful and attractive than people in jeans and jumpers. The first impression is misleading. This applies to men and women.
To create the image of a successful lady, women need to wear closed clothes. A deep neckline and a mini skirt create a feeling of lower social status.
Another interesting observation was made by university professors in Pennsylvania. Bald men are perceived as leaders who know how to lead a group of people. Age and clothing in the experiment were in the background.
The first opinion of a person is erroneous, but has a great influence on further relationships. The opinion that developed in the first seconds is then difficult to change.