Grounded in cutting-edge theory and research, this book brings together leading investigators to examine how first impressions are formed; the psychological, biological, and evolutionary processes that underlie them; and their consequences for individuals and society. Chapters present compelling findings on what people infer about others from such cues as facial features, expressions, skin tones, physical movements, and the environmental context. Factors that make first impressions more or less accurate are identified, including the type of inference being made as well as the impact of perceiver characteristics and stereotyping. The book also reveals the significant impact of first impressions--positive or negative--on emotions, cognitions, and behavior.
Introduction I. Biological Aspects 1. Evolutionary Bases of First Impressions, Mark Schaller 2. First Impressions: Peeking at the Neural Underpinnings, Nicholas O. Rule and Nalini Ambady 3. The Biology of Mind Reading, Bhismadev Chakrabarti and Simon Baron-Cohen II. Functionality 4. Who Draws Accurate First Impressions?: Personal Correlates of Sensitivity to Nonverbal Cues, Judith A. Hall and Susan A. Andrzejewski 5. To What Extent, and under What Conditions, Are First Impressions Valid?, Heather M. Gray 6. Zero Acquaintance: Definitions, Statistical Model, Findings, and Process, David A. Kenny and Tessa V. West 7. You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression: Behavioral Consequences of First Impressions, Monica J. Harris and Christopher P. Garris III. Facial Cues 8. First Impressions from Facial Appearance Cues, Leslie A. Zebrowitz and Joann M. Montepare 9. Social Categorization and Beyond: How Facial Features Impact Social Judgment, Keith B. Maddox and Kristin N. Dukes 10. The Role of Facial Expression in Person Perception, Ursula Hess, Reginald B. Adams, Jr., and Robert E. Kleck 11. Putting Facial Expressions Back in Context, Hillel Aviezer, Ran R. Hassin, Shlomo Bentin, and Yaacov Trope IV. Behavioral and Environmental Cues 12. Remnants of the Recent Past: Influences of Priming on First Impressions, Max Weisbuch, Christian Unkelbach, and Klaus Fiedler 13. Spontaneous Impressions Derived from Observations of Behavior: What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been (and It's Not Over Yet), John J. Skowronski, Donal E. Carlston, and Jessica Hartnett 14. First Impressions Based on the Environments We Create and Inhabit, Samuel D. Gosling, Sam Gaddis, and Simine Vazire
