Walking across the Brickyard to an afternoon class, one cannot help but notice all of the different types of people. And with each stride on the ceramic-laid ground and with every split-second glance, people are leaving countless first impressions and drawing incalculable first conclusions.
Jessica Moore, a researcher and professor in the relational communication and persuasion program within the department of communications, said research about first impressions indicates a bad first impression can have a lasting impact on people’s future opinions.
And not only do first impressions leave an impact, but she said a first impression also affects the way others view each other.
“Some of the research in ‘initial interactions’ suggests that people often assign a valence, either positive or negative, to others during a first meeting and that valence can often impact the way people evaluate you for many interactions to come,” she said. “Making a bad first impression can lead to a reduction in others’ perceptions of your credibility and physical attractiveness, among other things.”
But that doesn’t mean a bad impression is there to stay.
“The good news is that reversing a bad first impression is absolutely possible,” she said.
One step students can take to avoid making a not-so-perfect first impression, Moore said, is not to obsess about the possibility of embarrassing oneself or leaving a bad impression behind.
“It sounds simple, but the research on self-fulfilling prophecies tells us that if you believe you will make a bad first impression, it is far more likely to happen than if you instead focus on making a good impression,” she said.
Erik Cox, a freshman in engineering, said he has had interesting experiences with first impressions.
“Usually, my first impressions are wrong about the person and once I get to know them, I really like them,” he said.
Cox said first impressions matter, despite his bad experiences with them.
“Depending on how people look, you can probably determine kind of what they are like, so you might be able to find common interests,” he said. “I don’t believe in love at first sight because personality plays a huge role in a relationship.”
Kristin Tart, a freshman in sports management, said first impressions are very effective.
“I know if I meet someone and they are snobby or not nice, I want nothing to do with them,” she said.
Tart also said she knows of at least one bad impression she’s made.
“I’ve made a bad impression [during] volleyball season because you can come across as ‘I’m on this team, in this spot’ and so on,” Tart said. “It happens especially in try-outs and you can come across as mean, but you all end up being friends.”
“Everyone remembers a first impression,” she said.
But aside from personal interactions, one place where these first impressions really matter is the workplace.
Carol Schroeder, director of the University Career Center, said there are many common mistakes people make on job interviews.
“They may be unaware of poor body language, may lack self confidence, may be unable to articulate their strong points and may not have done any research on the employer,” Schroeder said.
To score the interview, Schroeder suggested visiting career fairs and “meet the employer” sessions and reading through the company’s Web site. The University Career Center, she said, can also provide students with valuable expertise and advice both in person and on its Web site.
And once a student has an interview, she said preparation is key for success in giving a great first impression.
“Read over the list of common questions employers ask and think through your answers,” she said. “It’s not a bad idea to write them down so that you can review them prior to an interview. You may not ace every question, but you will hit the highlights.”