Perception of Others
There is no second chance for a first impression. Perception has never been random, since the beginning of time it has been human nature to judge others before really getting a chance to know them. People immediately cast others into stereotypes in every situation: they form a schema, or an organized set of thoughts about something containing properties and uses. These schemas effect the way people carry themselves around others. Schemas are usually formed with in eight seconds of getting the initial impression of a person. This by psychologists is know as the ?eight-second rule,? where people have been proven to form hypothesizes about others with in eight seconds of meeting or seeing an individual for the first time. Human nature has never been stated more accurately than in one little phrase, yet I have never fully understood the cliché until just recently.
As I sat here in the computer lab last week I noticed how I judge those around me. Although she speaks nothing, I have already put together an assumption about ?the girl sitting to my left:? her personality, work habits and attitude through a semantic analogy, or forming a link between physical appearance and personality. Wearing gray pajama pants and a comfortable fleece sweatshirt while holding a dark cloth blanket, I have understood in my mind that she likes to be cozy and secure. She seems to be a girl with a very soft nice voice, even though I have never heard her talk. As ?the girl sitting to my left? uses earphones while at the computer, I put together that she probably is very considerate of others. These assumptions could, for all I know is false and inaccurate, but as a human being I realize my judgments on others. I came t...
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...of him as clumsy and stupid. Stupidity is a common label people tend to place others.
Stephen, a recent friend of mine, appeared by his diction, attitude, and demeanor to be a person not of high intelligence or extensive vocabulary at all. As I came to find out, Stephen was very smart, earning a high school GPA of 3.8, and having intentions of a political science pre-law major.
Furthermore, you justly cannot judge a book by its cover. Throughout not only my experiments, but also my experiences I have grasped a great comprehension of how people form quick assumptions about others. Through my first-hand experiments and acquaintances I have seen human nature, and in the course of my observations I learned that we all, even myself, are victims of this judgmental view of others. Impressions, formed by all people, truly affect your interactions in everyday life.
“Only Phineas never was afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone. Other people experienced this fearful shock somewhere, this sighting of the enemy, and so began an obsessive labor of defense, began to parry the menace they saw facing them by developing a particular frame of mind.”(Knowles 204) John Knowles, the author of A Separate Peace states this quote to explore how some people develop defense mechanisms in order to protect themselves from any harm they may endure. Gene, the novel’s protagonist feels as though his best friend Phineas is somehow out to get him. However, Finny’s perception of his friend was utterly different from Gene’s perspective. In fact, Finny acts as a foil for Gene throughout the story, carrying a completely different outlook on things. Gene’s savage nature allows him to identify the evil within people when Finny simply acknowledges the positive traits in his friends, disregarding the concept of wickedness as a whole. Through Gene and Finny’s friendship, John Knowles illustrates the significance of how one has the ability to perceive others.
People always say never judged a person by their cover, yet some of us still do it without even trying sometimes. I have done this on multiple occasions without really trying to judge a person. I once had an experience where I was trying out for a new club team and I saw this girl who looked really mean and scary because of the expression on her face. I always thought if I ever talk to her she would be mean, but one practice we started to talk and she wasn’t at all the person I thought she ways. It turns out that she is a nice person who just takes soccer very seriously. This just shows that we can have a certain opinion on someone by their looks, but they may be completely opposite from the way they appear.There’s this book call “Freak the Mighty” which has a good way of showing the theme of not judging a person
When an individual unintentionally enters a room full of an unfamiliar crowd, he or she is bound to be embarrassed, but also have an apprehensive sensation of how others in that room will distinguish them. A situation like that establishes a moment in which that person realizes that all eyes are gaping at that individual. Just when that person could consider forgetting what just happened, unfortunately judgments start circulating among the unfamiliar crowd. As most people know, judgments are based off of a person’s appearance, race, religion, or a quality that doesn’t appeal to the person analyzing them. Obviously, judging is something that takes place whether someone likes it or not, but there are certain limits to it that many cross by adding
Many people’s assumptions are driven by appearance but in some cases the appearance can be
Perceptions, and how they might possibly influence me, whether I like it or not, I usually get them all wrong, then again I would rather not have to assume anything about someone. Passing judgment, assumptions or anything that makes me think twice about someone, I tend to stay away from, not because I can come off as passive aggressive, but because when I am wrong, I tend to feel like a jerk afterwards and I must apologize for my interpretation, and potentially misguided judgment. On the other hand, in the event of a crisis or conflict, a perception check can peel back the layers of influence, and expose the wound to continue with effective helpful healing, communication and the understanding of another individual’s circumstances.
Stereotyping is an adaptive mechanism, adopted by human beings, to assist in the cognitive process of impression formation. Within the social arena, we are subjected to unfamiliar people and places on a regular basis. First impressions are often formed hastily on the basis of very limited information, and assisted by the practice of stereotyping. More specifically, stereotypes can be defined as the cognitive schemas that relate to a particular social group. These cognitive schemas are mental structures that contain knowledge about a particular type of stimulus: attributes, relations, and so on (book). In terms of gendered stereotypes, these schematic structures outline how men and women ought to behave, and contribute to impression formation:
First impressions are created by a composite of signals given off by a new experience (Flora, 2004). The judgment of these impressions depends on the observer and the person being observed (Flora, 2004). When you meet someone for the first time it takes about three seconds to be evaluated by the observer (Mind Tools, 1996-2011,). During this time the person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanor, and how you dress (Mind Tools, 2996-2011,). Impressions are important to us because they are impossible to be reserved and the set the tone for all the relationships that follow (Mind Tools, 1996-2011).
It is often people establish judgments of others based on a fragile perspective that will probably change once they actually get to know them. In Lucy Maude Montgomery's short story "A Fortunate Mistake", the Wallace sisters discover this when they thought Florrie Hamilton did not fit with them, only to find out that she is actually quite the charming girl. Their change of perspective is evident in Nan's impression of Florrie after her visit, and in Miss Braxton's girls' reactions after witnessing the blooming friendship, between Florrie and the Wallace sisters. In my experience, I have also naively based my opinions of others on what people had to say about them, which proved to be a foolish mistake that I no longer made. Although one may not be able to help but base judgments and opinions on limited perspective, it is through widening perspectives that an individual can reach a better understanding of those around.
The first impression you have when meeting someone is their appearance, which makes it easy to judge people based on how they
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...
always take a first impression about people, and all the times criticize them depending of
How first impressions are formed has been a subject of interest by many researchers in the area of psychology.
Social perception is seen when individuals meet for the first time (first impression), attribution and through non-verbal communication. Social perception illustrates how people form impressions and make insinuations about other people.
“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” A first impression is a person’s initial mental image of another person. It is formed upon the very first meeting of two people. Everyone makes and receives first impressions. Our physical appearance is the biggest factor that influences others’ first impression toward someone else.
Appearances are much more than how something simply looks. An appearance is how something is viewed in various facets, including the physical, intellectual, and emotional traits of the given person. There are also different points of view when discussing appearances. There are the appearances we give ourselves, and the appearances we give to others. Even though these appearances define who we are to the naked eye, they are almost never the complete truth. People characterize us based on what they see, and not necessarily who we actually are. This false sense of truth masks reality, and deceives the beholder.