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. 2017 Jun;26(3):237-242.
doi: 10.1177/0963721416683996. Epub 2017 Jun 14.

First Impressions From Faces

Leslie A Zebrowitz  1
Affiliations

First Impressions From Faces

Leslie A Zebrowitz. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2017 Jun.

Abstract

Although cultural wisdom warns 'don't judge a book by its cover,' we seem unable to inhibit this tendency even though it can produce inaccurate impressions of people's psychological traits and has significant social consequences. One explanation for this paradox is that first impressions of faces overgeneralize our adaptive impressions of categories of people that those faces resemble (including babies, familiar or unfamiliar people, unfit people, emotional people). Research testing these 'overgeneralization' hypotheses elucidates why we form first impressions from faces, what impressions we form, and what cues influence these impressions. This article focuses on commonalities in impressions across diverse perceivers. However, brief attention is given to individual differences in impressions and impression accuracy.

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References

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Recommended Readings

    1. Carney DR, Colvin CR, Hall JA. A thin-slice perspective on the accuracy of first impressions. Journal of Personality. 2007;41:1054–1072. • This paper discusses the accuracy of first impressions given multi-modal dynamic information that varies in duration.

    1. Rule NO, Ambady N, Adams RB, Jr, Ozono H, Nakashima S, Yoshikawa S, Watabe M. Polling the face: Prediction and consensus across cultures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2010;98:1–15. • A study that illustrates original research about trait impressions from faces

    1. Secord PF, Dukes WF, Bevan W. Personalities in faces: I. An experiment in social perceiving. Genetic Psychology Monographs. 1954;49:231–270. • A historical classic; one of the first empirical papers on trait impressions from faces.

    1. Zebrowitz LA. Reading Faces: Window to the Soul? Boulder, CO: Westview Press; 1997. • A user friendly and abundantly illustrated account of first impressions from faces that provides more historical background and more elaboration of the babyface and unfit face overgeneralization effects than the current paper.

    1. Zebrowitz LA, Montepare JM. Faces and first impressions. In: Bargh John, Borgida Gene., editors. Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology. Vol. 1. Attitudes and Social Cognition. Washington D.C: American Psychological Association; 2014. • A relatively comprehensive review for readers who wish to expand their knowledge of first impressions from faces, with more attention to social and psychological consequences than the current paper.

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