Psychologists investigate how first impressions influence impressions of trustworthiness
First impressions of whether someone appears trustworthy are influenced by the faces we have just seen, according to new research from psychologists at the University of Aberdeen. The study is the first to show that our snap judgments of trustworthiness are not based solely on the face in front of us. Instead, they are subtly shaped by the faces we have encountered only moments earlier.
The trustworthiness of a person's face, according to new research from psychologists at the University of Aberdeen, is not solely determined by the face being observed. Instead, it can be subtly influenced by the faces viewed immediately before. The study, a first of its kind, reveals that our snap judgments about a person's trustworthiness can be biased by the sequence of faces we encounter.
This phenomenon has potential implications for various situations, such as dating apps, social media, and even legal proceedings like eyewitness identification. The research, conducted by Dr. Fiammetta Marini, Dr. Clare Sutherland, Dr. Mauro Manassi from the University of Aberdeen, and Dr. Linda Jeffery from Curtin University, investigated how recently seen faces influence first impressions of trustworthiness.
The findings indicate that trustworthiness impressions of two faces become more similar when viewed in quick succession, a phenomenon known as the attractive bias. This occurs when faces are viewed close together, or when they appear very similar. Conversely, a repulsive bias can occur when the viewing time of the previous face is extended, when the two faces are presented farther apart, or when they have a very dissimilar appearance.
The study, published in BMC Biology, demonstrates that even seemingly objective judgments, like trustworthiness, can be influenced by past visual experiences.
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