PUBLIC TALK: Science Exchange Series - First Impressions and Why They Matter

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Appearances can be deceiving. Despite these warnings, evidence shows that people can’t help but make rapid judgements of character based on a mere glimpse of a stranger’s face. These impressions really matter because they predict all sorts of social outcomes. For instance, children who look attractive are assumed to be smart by teachers, and are less likely to receive harsh discipline.

Dr Jemma Collova will discuss how psychology research can help us understand how we form first impressions from children’s faces, whether these impressions are at all accurate, and how children learn to form these impressions too.