It is a common saying that ‘first impression is the last impression’, and first impressions are often regarded as the cornerstones of forming human relationships. The thought process behind forming an opinion of another person is called impression formation, and it is based on the information we gather about a person before or directly after meeting them. In order to explain or predict impression formation, there have been multiple studies and experiments conducted on various theories that discuss how it can be influenced. Some of these theories can be applied to Stuart’s example, including central traits and stereotyping.
Central traits refer to traits that effectively influence the process of forming an impression. They are powerful …show more content…
In addition, the initial impact of Stuart’s description could have shifted Mr.Winchester’s otherwise professional attitude towards his interviewees to a friendlier, more relaxed demeanor due to his expectation of a warm, outgoing person. Moreover, it is possible that this malleable frame of mind could have influenced his first encounter with Stuart, causing him to draw less harsh impressions, or even completely overlook his initial awkwardness. Despite the powerful impact that central traits can leave, these verbal descriptions can be overwritten by other factors, such as people’s preexisting views on people and their …show more content…
Stereotypes are usually shared by large sociocultural groups and express unfounded views and opinions without prior experience with the individual. Throughout the years, people have become less inclined to openly express a stereotypical or racist beliefs, but one study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago in 1998 discovered that many still hold racist or bigoted views based on racial stereotypes. In this study, about 1200 Americans were given a questionnaire with questions such as “"Do people in these groups tend to be unintelligent or tend to be intelligent?", and the instruction to evaluate on a scale of one to seven characteristics of a variety of groups such as: white, Jewish, African American, Asian American and Latino/a.. As a result, minority groups were evaluated more negatively than their white counterparts, with the exception of Jews. Despite the study’s controlled, unrealistic approach, the anonymity of the respondents served to protect their identities, which lead to complete freedom of expression without fear of the consequences. This sense of immunity was necessary to gather people’s true opinions, due to the nature of this experiment and possible shame that would have otherwise altered their answers based on what they thought they had to
Central traits refer to traits that effectively influence the process of forming an impression. They are powerful …show more content…
In addition, the initial impact of Stuart’s description could have shifted Mr.Winchester’s otherwise professional attitude towards his interviewees to a friendlier, more relaxed demeanor due to his expectation of a warm, outgoing person. Moreover, it is possible that this malleable frame of mind could have influenced his first encounter with Stuart, causing him to draw less harsh impressions, or even completely overlook his initial awkwardness. Despite the powerful impact that central traits can leave, these verbal descriptions can be overwritten by other factors, such as people’s preexisting views on people and their …show more content…
Stereotypes are usually shared by large sociocultural groups and express unfounded views and opinions without prior experience with the individual. Throughout the years, people have become less inclined to openly express a stereotypical or racist beliefs, but one study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago in 1998 discovered that many still hold racist or bigoted views based on racial stereotypes. In this study, about 1200 Americans were given a questionnaire with questions such as “"Do people in these groups tend to be unintelligent or tend to be intelligent?", and the instruction to evaluate on a scale of one to seven characteristics of a variety of groups such as: white, Jewish, African American, Asian American and Latino/a.. As a result, minority groups were evaluated more negatively than their white counterparts, with the exception of Jews. Despite the study’s controlled, unrealistic approach, the anonymity of the respondents served to protect their identities, which lead to complete freedom of expression without fear of the consequences. This sense of immunity was necessary to gather people’s true opinions, due to the nature of this experiment and possible shame that would have otherwise altered their answers based on what they thought they had to