First Impressions
Running head: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
First Impressions and How to Project a Positive Image
Meree G. Vargo
Thesis
The purpose of this research is to focus on three major roles that shape a first impression appearance, non-verbal communication, ways to exude a positive first impression and discuss the impact of a first impression.
First impressions are the initial reaction to the meeting of an individual that one has not met before, a snap judgment. First impressions typically take more time to develop if it is a social meeting opposed to a business meeting. These quick first impressions are also known as the “primary effect”. (Lussier, 2010) Although there is not one set figure on the amount of time one has to make a first impression, experts suggest that one has a blink’s worth of time, five seconds, to four minutes. There is a big difference between five seconds and four minutes, but relative to an initial meeting even three minutes is a short amount of time. In most cases this impression is the basis of someone’s opinion about you and if that impression is not a good one, it will be very difficult if not impossible to change. (First Impressions 2) Sometimes one doesn’t’ even know what an individual looks like, but they are still able to make a first impression. First impressions can be made by talking to someone over the phone, reading an email, reviewing a resume, meeting someone at a networking meeting, going to a first interview and the list goes on and on. An “image” is “other people attitudes towards us” (Lussier, 2010), an image is developed mainly by appearance, non-verbal communication and behavior. This paper will examine these variables to see the impact first impressions really have and examine ways to project a positive first impression. It is important to note that first impressions are based on the opinions of others and can at times be based on bias or
First Impressions and How to Project a Positive Image
Meree G. Vargo
Thesis
The purpose of this research is to focus on three major roles that shape a first impression appearance, non-verbal communication, ways to exude a positive first impression and discuss the impact of a first impression.
First impressions are the initial reaction to the meeting of an individual that one has not met before, a snap judgment. First impressions typically take more time to develop if it is a social meeting opposed to a business meeting. These quick first impressions are also known as the “primary effect”. (Lussier, 2010) Although there is not one set figure on the amount of time one has to make a first impression, experts suggest that one has a blink’s worth of time, five seconds, to four minutes. There is a big difference between five seconds and four minutes, but relative to an initial meeting even three minutes is a short amount of time. In most cases this impression is the basis of someone’s opinion about you and if that impression is not a good one, it will be very difficult if not impossible to change. (First Impressions 2) Sometimes one doesn’t’ even know what an individual looks like, but they are still able to make a first impression. First impressions can be made by talking to someone over the phone, reading an email, reviewing a resume, meeting someone at a networking meeting, going to a first interview and the list goes on and on. An “image” is “other people attitudes towards us” (Lussier, 2010), an image is developed mainly by appearance, non-verbal communication and behavior. This paper will examine these variables to see the impact first impressions really have and examine ways to project a positive first impression. It is important to note that first impressions are based on the opinions of others and can at times be based on bias or
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