First Impressions Flashcards
The Configural Model
Asch 1946.
How we form first impressions and how they are easily influenced by subtle details and central traits (traits we value such as politeness).
The Configural Model - STUDIES
Asch, 1946.
Two groups given list of adjectives about a person. Both same except warm or cold. Ones with warm more positive response.
Limit: central trait or clearly defined.
Kelly, 1950.
Replicated this study. Used lecturer who gave same lecture to two groups and lecture described as warm rated higher.
The Personal Construct Theory
George Kelly 1950.
People develop personal constructs of how the world works based on experiences.
Can be applied to first impressions (we have constructs that link features and types of people).
Can change by experiences.
Personal Construct Theory - STUDIES
Kelly, 1950.
People showed to generally pair kindness with intelligence in a person but did not pair it with self centeredness.
Biases
Personal opinions which change our view and usually based on traits we value most.
How does contest affect first impressions?
Social rules broken out of context have little effect on first impressions or our view in someone as it’s so unexpected we are likely to ignore it and justify it in other ways unrelated to the person.
Context - STUDY
Rate someone after first meeting but two groups: met over phone or email. Traits given to the people consistent in two groups. Example: openness given more to people who met over email.
Contextual Sensitivity
Context in which we meet someone influences first impression.
The Extended Self.
Part of us we choose reflected in what we buy and consume. Doesn’t include inherent features. Majorly influences first impression such as someone wearing a watch seen as more conscientious.
Cognitive Algebra
We perform summation, averaging and weighted averaging when meeting someone to determine our impression of them by giving them points for traits we value and subtracting for ones we don’t.
Weighted Traits
Traits we deem most important.
Social Schemas
Knowledge about a construct including ideas and thoughts as well as attitudes and beliefs. When we meet someone we apply a scheme, such as academia, and then fill in the gaps based on the impression they give us.
First Impressions - STUDIES
People asked to rate people on how trustworthy they looked. Those with brown eyes rated higher.
Limit: is link between brown eyes and trustworthy relevant?
Face averaging. Computer made average faces of group of people who people rated themselves as lucky or unlucky and religious or not. People could pick religious averts face correctly 80% of time.
Fave averaging again but with sexuality. Results were poor. Computer could predict sexuality in 90% of cases. Limit: ethical issues.
Beyond the face: studied voice impacts. People asked to rate someone based on only hearing them say hello. Consistent answers. Limit: disagrees with many older theories which state there is a precise process to first impressions.
