FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Confirmation bias is an interesting phenomenon; it explains people's misplaced confidence when evaluating someone’s character based on first impressions. If people allow their first impressions to be challenged, there is a chance that subsequent information will compel a revision. However, not everyone is willing to change their first impressions; somehow, their belief in being a good judge of character is threatened if their impression changes.

In this case, there is a resistance to new information that may challenge what they already believe is true. They will likely focus only on details that confirm their first impression while ignoring those that do not. This is why so many insist that, based on “sound” first impressions, they are excellent judges of character. Clearly, this is not necessarily so.

For this Discussion, you will consider a personal experience regarding first impressions and apply social psychology theory to explore how impressions form quickly and persist. 

RESOURCES

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. 

WEEKLY RESOURCES

TO PREPARE

• Think of times when your first impressions of others were inaccurate.
• Review the Learning Resources for this week and reflect on how social psychology theory explains why first impressions persist and how they can be changed.

BY DAY 4

Post a description of a time when you were certain your first impression of someone you had just met was accurate, only to discover subsequently that you were mistaken. Describe how social psychology theory explains this phenomenon.

REFERENCES

• Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M., & Sommers, S. R. (Eds.). (2019). Social psychology (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
  
  • Chapter 4, “Social Perception: How We Come to Understand Other People”
• Note: Viewing media and interactives embedded in the electronic version of this course text is not required for this course.
• Dexter, H. R., Penrod, S., Linz, D., & Saunders, D. (2006). Attributing responsibility to female victims after exposure to sexually violent films. Journal of Applied Social Psychology Download Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27(24), 2149–2171.
• Attributing responsibility to female victims after exposure to sexually violent films by Dexter, H. R., Penrod, S., Linz, D., & Saunders, D., in Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Vol. 27/Issue 24. Copyright 2006 by Blackwell Publishing Inc. Reprinted by permission of Blackwell Publishing Inc. via the Copyright Clearance Center.
• Sirin, C. V., & Villalobos, J. D. (2011). Where does the buck stop? Applying attribution theory to examine public appraisals of the president. Presidential Studies QuarterlyLinks to an external site., 41(2), 334–357.
• Moskowitz, G. B., & Carter, D. (2018). Confirmation bias and the stereotype of the black athlete. Psychology of Sport & ExerciseLinks to an external site., 36, 139–146.doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.02.010
• Tausch, N., & Hewstone, M. (2010). Social dominance orientation attenuates stereotype change in the face of disconfirming information. Social PsychologyLinks to an external site., 41(3), 169–176. doi:10.1027/1864-9335/a000024