Impression - Social Cog

• Within first minute of meeting someone
• rely on little info
• people we have met and some we haven't

• first concept of impression
• verbal and non-verbal communication

• sematic: actual spoken words (eg someone telling you something/asking you something about yourself)
• expressive: way spoken (tone/emphasis) 
• impression formation concept of impression

• physical characteristics (gender,height,weight)
• face (facial expressions)
• eye contact (yes = hostile, no = untrustworthy)
• posture (open v closed)
• gestures

impression formation concept of impression

• people forming impression of us
• present who we are to others
• through verbal and non-verbal communication
• impressions different depending on audience 
• aims to make people like us

second concept of impression

• form of protecting ourselves through impression management
• making excuses for why you present a less than desirable impression in an activity that you're about to do
• occurs before do activity

impression management

real handicapping: when something has actually happened that could potentially affect performance (illness)

artificial handicapping: making an excuse for potential bad performance (lying about sleep)

• gain self knowledge by comparing ourselves to others
• 3 types

third concept of impression

• compare ourselves to those with better traits/ behaviours
• motivate us to improve
• risk aiming too high

type of social comparison

• compare ourselves to less fortunate/less abilities
• purpose: self-protect/self-advance

type of social comparison

• compare to those with similar abilities
• reassure ourselves about own abilities

type of social impression

• Evaluations are drawn from limited external information
• Impressions are partly based on stereotypes held by perceiver 
• First impressions are initially based on outward appearance cues
• First impressions form a baseline for subsequent impressions and judgements
• impressions consist of at least 3 different levels: physical, socio-cultural, psychological

ambivalent

• respect opinions
• neutral/respective language
• anonymous info
• info about unpopular info to others