Discover how first impressions can lead you astray
Every time two strangers cross paths both parties make assumptions about one another based solely on their appearance. Many of these assumptions rely on stereotypes that have been hardwired into our brains since birth. Physical traits like the texture of your hair or the color of your eyes can make all the difference in how you are perceived in the eyes of another. Past experiments by the Journal of Current Directions in Psychological Science suggest a link between certain perceptual appearances and their extroversion (Brogaard, 2016). This prompts us to ask: what are these attributes, and do they provide valid insights into our character?
A study by the Psychological Science Organization focused primarily on body types. They found that individuals with classical feminine features (like a pear shape) and those with classical masculine shapes (like broad shoulders) were heavily associated with “active” traits such as high extroversion, irritability, and quarrelsomeness. Meanwhile, those with a rectangular shape were linked to “passive” traits, including introversion, dependability, and trustworthiness. However, it’s important to note that these assumptions are biased and influenced by the subjects’ own experiences, backgrounds, and cultures (Parde et al. 2018). Co-authors Connor J. Parde, Matthew, Q. Hill, and Alice J. O’Toole of the University of Texas at Dallas and Naureen Mahmood of the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems claim that these assumptions are (to a certain extent) accurate. While this particular study supported that claim, I must critique their sample size. Seventy-six undergraduate students are not a representative sample of the United States, let alone the entire world.
Another study by the National Library of Medicine identified three clusters in their experiment aimed at determining if personality can be predicted by facial features: dominance-masculinity, attractiveness-physical health-extroversion and trustworthiness-friendliness. Interestingly, the results support the “halo effect,” which suggests that attractive people are often evaluated more positively regarding traits like high extroversion, emotional stability, physical health, and adventurousness (Wolffhechel et al, 2014). However, the researchers acknowledge that their model does not reliably infer personality traits from facial features.
In both cases, it’s evident that our physical traits influence how the world perceives us to some extent. However, whether these perceptions offer valid insights into our character remains unclear due to inconsistencies in the experimental results. Our implicit biases will likely always play a role, but it’s important to recognize that stereotypes related to race, gender, sexual orientation, etc., contribute to social injustices and the oppression of marginalized groups and individuals.
References
- Brogaard, B. (2016). Perceptual Appearances of Personality. Philosophical Topics, 44(2), 83–104. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26529407
- Parde, C. J., Mahmood, N., O’Toole , A. J., & Hill, M. Q. (2018, November 1). People link body shapes with personality traits. Association for Psychological Science – APS. https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/people-link-body-shapes-with-personality-traits.html
- Wolffhechel, K., Fagertun, J., Jacobsen, U. P., Majewski, W., Hemmingsen, A. S., Larsen, C. L., Lorentzen, S. K., & Jarmer, H. (2014). Interpretation of appearance: the effect of facial features on first impressions and personality. PloS one, 9(9), e107721. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0107721