Forming first impressions is irresistible and unescapable because initial impressions help us quickly judge whether someone is naughty or nice. With this information, we can predict others’ behaviors and use that knowledge to adapt in social situations.
For instance, let’s say you’re looking for a job and attending various networking events. In time, you learn to spot very quickly who in the crowd might be helpful for finding job opportunities. You might not be 100% accurate all the time, but first impressions only need to be minimally diagnostic, meaning you are correct enough times that forming first impressions is useful. In fact, it would be biologically detrimental to not form first impressions.
When creating first impressions, the brain is extra cautious about facing new people and situations. People lean toward negative first impressions because it’s more costly to misjudge a threat. This creates a challenge— perhaps more so for virtual encounters because your presence on screen is much smaller than in person. Without physical proximity, it’s potentially more difficult to influence or alter your audience’s first impressions.
So, how do you neutralize the brain’s natural negative tendency when forming first impressions in your virtual meetings and create impressions that are long-lasting? Let’s look at some guidelines that spring from my latest neuroscience research:
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