The Importance of First Impressions

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Recommended: Impression formation theories

Making a good first impression is of the utmost importance, for research studies indicate that the impression made in the first few seconds of an initial encounter has a long-lasting effect and very rarely changes over time. Positive first impressions can be made by being well-dressed and groomed, by being confident and self-assured, and by smiling and making eye contact when meeting someone for the first time.
In order to provide a thorough and comprehensive analysis of this issue, first impression dynamics will be examined in a variety of contexts such as dating, social events, academic settings, and job interviews, and the impact of first impressions on business activities ranging from sales and the design of company websites to hospitality industry environments such as restaurants and hotels will be discussed and analyzed.

The Influence of First Impressions

Lenny Laskowski (1998,1), president of LJL Seminars, notes that people always form an initial impression the first time they come in contact with someone, regardless of whether it is in person or whether it is over the telephone. Every other contact after that first time either supports or conflicts with that first impression. If a good first impression is created, the relationship grows from there, but if a bad first impression is created, “the relationship with that person can be an uphill battle.”
Taylor, Pepau, & Sears (2000) explain that first impressions are extremely important because they are the initial idea that an individual forms about another individual and determine whether they decide to pursue any type of relationship. People tend to form impressions of each other relatively quickly and use minimal information such as the gender of the o...

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...sion/. 4 March 2011.
Nauert, Rick. (2009). “First Impressions Are Important For Trusting Relationship.” PsychCentral. Online. Available: http://psychcentral.com/news /2009/01/08/first-impressions-are-important-for-trusting-relationship/3600.html. 4 March 2011.
Taylor, S. E., Peplau, L., & Sears, D. O. (2000). “Person Perception: Forming Impressions of Others.” In N. Roberts, B. Webber, & J. Cohen (Eds.), Social Psychology (pp. 62-97). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Thejendra, B.S. (2008). “The Folly Of First Impressions.” Changing Minds.
Online. Available: http://changingminds.org/articles/articles08/the_folly_of_first_ impressions.htm. 3 March 2011.
Wilson, Susie. (2009). “The Importance of First Impressions.” Career Communique. Online. Available: http://career-coach.com.au/xpress/feb2709. Htm. 5 March 2011.

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