Running head: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Business and Professional Communication

COMM 25863
Linda Duff
February 5, 2014
Communication in Practice Presentation: First Impressions
For this project, I had the opportunity to choose a topic from the text used for the class to
research which I would later present in an informative speech to the class. The topic I chose was
first impressions, because this is a phenomenon that people encounter almost every day of
their lives in the public world. I chose this project, because first impressions are an extremely
important concept to understand and it is something that we have partial control of. By
understanding the importance a first impression can make, one is able to be more aware of their
presence and the way people make snap judgements about them. This piece shows my ability to
take an abstract concept and apply it to real world scenarios so that others can effectively utilize
the information surrounding first impressions to their personal lives. Now that I am undergoing
job searching and preparing for professional interviews, managing my first impression for
potential employers is something I take very seriously and am trying to manage so I can make
the best first impression possible. This project was interesting, because I had to research the
background information on first impressions which was previously only a concept I knew from
personal experience rather than the science and research behind it. The feedback from the class
was interesting to hear, because everyone knew what a first impression was, but my peers were
unaware of the power they had to influence how others viewed them. After conducting my
research, I learned that the popular statement does holds true, that you can never redo a first
impression which shows the importance of making a good one in the first place.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
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Introduction
Everyone has encounters with first impressions on a constant basis
First aspect of a relationship on any level: strangers, coworkers, classmates,
friends, significant others
They happen extremely quickly and most times without even our conscious
acknowledgement
Within the first 20-30 seconds of meeting someone
Form first impressions by personal perceptions
How we process and interpret cues from a persons outward
appearance, voice, and language usage (Goodall, 2010, pg 97).
o Use schemata mental pattern recognition plans (identify and
organize information)
Sarah Trenholm, a communication scholar, says people use three basic
patterns to develop first impressions: person prototypes, personal
constructs, phatic communication (Goodall, 2010, pg 97).
Person Prototypes
Also known as stereotypes associate certain appearance and behavior
to an existing person
o Student, professor, politician, athlete, priest, nerd, partier
Limits our perception of people, because has us generalize rather than
see them as an individual
Influences how we communicate with others
A theory that also comes into play is the halo (or opposite horn) effect
o Phenomenon whereby the perception of positive (or negative)
qualities in one thing gives rise to the perception of similar
qualities (www.psychologytoday.com)
o Distorts reality just like stereotypes; creates false impressions
o Example: Albert Einstein
Never seen or heard of him and were shown a picture,
would consider him to be a crazy old man
General public sees him as a genius
Personal Constructs
Definition: Evaluations we make of others based on our assessment of
their personal communication habits and behaviors (Goodall, 2010, pg
98).
o Bossy, easy going, social, mean, messy, nosey
o Only use a few of these to figure someone out
Moment a stranger sees you, immediately begins to make initial snap
judgments (www.forbes.com).
o Friend/foe? Mean/friendly? Intelligent/dumb? Confident/shy?
According to a Journal on Social Cognition:
o Study that was done:
Untrained subjects were shown 20- to 32-second
videotaped segments of job applicants greeting their
interviewers.

Running head: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

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Subjects rated the applicants on attributes like selfassurance and likeability
Assessments were very similar to the interviewers' who
had spent more than 20 minutes with each applicant
(Wyers, 2010, pg 8).

Phatic Communication
Also known as scripts
Can be verbal or nonverbal
o Small talk or clichd phrases
o Handshake, wave, thumbs up dont even notice it
The behaviors we do that allow us to behave mindlessly while engaged
in a conversation
o Body language is 70% of communication during an interaction
o Posture, body language, breathing pattern, voice inflection, tone
Judge and evaluate others scripts based upon our own patterns
Need to be mindful of scripted communication especially if its a more
professional context such as a job interview
Personal Experience
o I have two work experiences that are both Kent State related.
Resident Assistant Lake & Koonce Hall
o Decorate the hall and have creative door decorations with their
names on them
Want them to feel welcome
o First impression extremely important and strategically scripted
Want to establish myself as the floor authority figure as a
student leader and not a dictator
o Dress to impress want to be seen as relatable and respectable
o Have a prepared and scripted speech for the first introductory
meeting
Want to be seen as organized and put together
o Smile and have a relaxed attitude residents (especially
freshmen) are already nervous enough on the first night at
college
o If did not establish a good first impression, can be detrimental in
the future pertaining to:
Residents following policy
Attendance at programs/community builders
Sociability between rooms on the floor
Tour Guide
o Interact with high school students; many who have never been to
a college before
o First impression of a college student and Kent State
o In the job description to be over friendly and welcoming
o Specifically told to dress as a typical college student: Greek or
university related apparel

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

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o Potential new students and parents most definitely will remember

you not only representing myself, but also the university
First Impressions Last Forever
Saying that first impressions last forever is actually a verifiable clich
Journal on Social Cognition, states that first impressions are implicitly
ingrained in peoples brains
o Implicit personality theory - describes the specific patterns and
biases an individual uses when forming impressions based on a
limited amount of initial information about an unfamiliar person
(Wyer, 2010, pg 2).
Peoples attitudes on someone tend to be resistant to change, even if
contradictory evidence is revealed to them after that initial first
impression was made
o Backed up by research
Example: Journal Social Cognition
Participants continued to hold negative implicit
attitudes toward a target who they initially believed to
be a child molester but later learned was a lawyer
prosecuting the child molester. (Wyers, 2010, pg 13)
o Shows a continuance of initial attitude even though it had been
discredited by new information
o How you initially categorize someone can have a lasting
impression on how you continue to view them (relates back to
stereotyping people)
Conclusion
First impressions are an extremely important factor when forming new
relationships.
Important especially in business interactions such as interviews.
In business interactions, first impressions are crucial.
While you cant stop people from making snap decisions,
you can understand how to make those decisions work in
your favor (www.forbes.com).
Had an interview for being both a Resident Assistant and
Tour Guide
Basic tips to a good professional first impression:
Arrive on time
Appearance
Quality Handshake (even tips on how to do this)
Body language eye contact, smile
Elevator speeches 30 seconds to make a lasting impression
Quote by the famous actor Will Rogers, You never get a second
chance to make a good first impression.

Running head: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

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References

Dobrin, Arthur. "The Power of First Impressions." Psychology Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb.
2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/>.
Goman, Carol. "Seven Seconds to Make a First Impression." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d.
Web. 2 Feb. 2014. <http://www.forbes.com>.
Goodall, H. L., Goodall, S., & Schiefelbein, J. (2010) Business and professional communication
in the global workplace (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Publishing.
Pillet-Shore, D. (2011) Doing Introductions: The Work Involved in Meeting Someone New.
Communicaiton Monographs, 78(1), 73-95.
Wyer, N. A. (2010). You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First (Implicit) Impression:
The Role of Elaboration in the Formation and Revision of Implicit Impressions. Social
Cognition. 28(1). 1-19.