Impression+Formation

. = Impression Formation = = =
 * Definition: **Impression formation is the way that people are able to make judgements on each other when meeting for the first time. Because people form impressions so rapidly, they have to use shortcuts. This means that if a person seems to have a nice personality than others will quickly assume that all of their other qualities will be nice as well.
 * We use **Central** and **Peripheral** traits in order to form impressions of others. Central traits are things like happiness, friendliness, shyness, etc. Peripheral traits are traits that are impacted by these core traits. Humans see the central and peripheral traits of others and are able to process and organize them; deciding which traits are most important at the time
 * The way we form impressions is also affected by the expectations that we have coming into a situation. If we have been given information on a person before meeting them or know others that they are friends with, we will be more quick to judge their personalities.


 * Primary effect: early information effects the impression one has of all of the other information received over time. Situations will be judged differently based on the first impressions of a person.


 * Halo effect: qualities are generalized during first impressions and clumped together. If a person is mean, they have all negative qualities.


 * Solomon Asch conducted the fist research on this subject soon after the end of World War II. He writes about this concept in his famous book //Forming Impressions of Personality.// To read more about his stud [|Click Here]

** Watch the Video Below: ** media type="youtube" key="6YjSIvmNjT8" height="315" width="560" In the movie trailer, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) makes very quick first impressions of everyone in the school because she is new. She is told by two of her new friends which groups that every person falls into and their most well known personality traits. Without ever meeting these people, Cady already has formed an impression. Now this expectation will stay with her throughout her interactions. She has formed opinions by seeing the way that people dress, who they sit with, etc. Think of how this applies to life at Needham High School. Do you remember what you thought of your friends when you first met them? What about what you thought of your teachers? Were you nervous about what people would start to think of you based on how you seemed on the first day of school?
 * Impression Formation connects to Needham High School in various ways. When meeting new teachers for the first time, we form impressions on them rapidly. If they give out homework for the first night or yell at someone to stop talking we may think that they are a generally strict and mean teacher. If they seem friendly however, we will automatically assume that they will not only be a nice person, but a good teacher as well.
 * This happens between friends as well. If someone is quiet and hesitant to approach a group, we may think that they are shy, awkward, smart, cold; when they could be nervous for the first day but normally a very warm and friendly person.
 * Groups are formed quickly based on the first impressions that we make of each other.

**Bibliography:** Moore, Christopher D. "Impression Formation." //Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social //Psychology//. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. .

//Psychology of Impression Formation//. Faclo, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. .