Forming Impressions and Impression Management

Question 1

First
Impressions

Answer 1

• Based on stereotypes we have
  about people.
• Formed from past relationship
  experience, social learning, etc.
  (not necessarily based on truth).
• in milliseconds

Question 2

Why are First Impression Long Lasting?

Answer 2

Primacy effect
* Tendency to remember things that come first

Confirmation bias
* Look for information that confirms our first impressions

Overconfidence
* Belief that you have more accurate
impressions of individuals than you do
Overconfidence

Question 3

Overconfidence:
Accuracy of
Partner’s Sexual
History

Answer 3

cofidence: 62% avarage

actual accuracy: 39%

overtime

confidence:90% (because lenght of relationship)

actual accuracy: 39%

Question 4

Impression Management

Answer 4

Trying to control how others perceive us

Question 5

Strategies of
Impression
Management

Answer 5

Ingratiation –
favors/compliments/agreement
* Creates Liking

Self-promotion –reveal
accomplishments/skills
* Increases Respect

Intimidation –portray self as
dangerous
* Creates Fear/Compliance

Supplication – portray self as unable
* Increases Help/Nurturance

Question 6

Self-monitoring

Answer 6

High self-monitors – adjust behavior to fit the situation

• More friends but less in common
• More social but less committed relationships

Low self-monitors - does not adjust behaviour to fit the situation

Question 7

How Well do we
Know our Partners?

Answer 7

Not as well as we think

Question 8

Factors Affecting Accuracy of
Perceptions

Answer 8

Knowledge: the more
knowledgewe have, the more accurate

Motivation: the more we
want to know, the more we know

Partner legibility: with obvious
traits we are more accurate

Perceiver ability: some people are naturally better judges

E.g., having high emotional intelligence

Threatening perceptions:
intimates don’t want to be accurate
about some things
E.g. partner’s attraction to
others

Perceiver influence:if we change our partners, we are more accurate