The warm-cold variable in first impressions of persons.

doi:10.1111/J.1467-6494.1950.TB01260.X

Paper

The warm-cold variable in first impressions of persons.

Published Jun 1, 1950 · H. Kelley

Journal of personality

Q1 SJR score

476

Citations

17

Influential Citations

Full textSemantic Scholar

Abstract

This experiment is one of several studies of first impressions (3), the purpose of the senes being to investigate the stability of early judgments, their determinants, and the relation of such judgments to the behavior of the person making them In interpreting the data from several nonexperimental studies on the stability of first impressions. It proved to be necessary to postulate inner-observer vanables which contnbute to the impression and which remain relatively constant through time Also some evidence was obtained which directly demonstrated the existence of these variables and their nature. The present expenment was designed to determine the effects of one kind of mner-ohserver variable, specifically, expectations about the stimulus person which the observer brings to the exposure situation That prior information or labels attached to a stimulus person make a difference in observers' first impressions is almost too obvious to require demonstration The expectations resulting from such preinformation may restrict, modify, or accentuate the impressions ht will have The crucial qu^tion is What changes in percepticHi will accompany a given expectation ? Studies of stereotyping, for example, that of Katz and Braly (2), indicate that from an ethnic label sitth as "German" or "Negro," a number of perceptions follow which are culturally determined Tlw present study finds its main significance in relation to a study by Asch (1) which demonstrates that certain crucial labels can transform the entire impression of the perscm, leading to attributions which are related to the label on a broad cultural basis or even, perhaps, on an autochthonous basis Asch read to his subjects a list of adjectives which purportedly described a particular person He then asked them to characterize that person He found that the inclusion in the list of what he called central qualities, such as "warm" as exposed to "cold," produced a

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Study Snapshot

First impressions of persons are influenced by the observer's expectations, prior information, and cultural stereotypes, leading to a variety of perceptions and reactions.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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The warm-cold variable in first impressions of persons.

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References

Citations

Judgment in the presence of multiple conflicting anchors.

Multiple conflicting anchors can influence numerical judgments, with the first anchor exerting a disproportionate influence on subsequent judgments.

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Novel interaction designs can shape teleoperator perceptions of a robot's speed, weight, or safety, potentially improving their effectiveness without requiring changes to the robot.

The role of fear of evaluation in group perception.

People with social anxiety disorder tend to prefer warmer and less dominant groups, regardless of their fear of negative or positive evaluation.

Seeing What is Representative

"Representative signal distortion" (RSD) in statistical discrimination leads to subjects interpreting evidence as more representative of their group than it is, leading to a discriminatory gap in evaluations.

“That’s a great question!” instructors’ positive responses to students’ questions improve STEM-related outcomes

Positive responses from instructors to students' questions in STEM settings boost self-efficacy, belonging, and motivation, with women especially benefiting.