This Is The Secret To Making A Better Impression, According To Science

What’s the secret to making a better impression? It is a shared and universal desire. Above all, if we take into account that it takes us on average between nine seconds and two minutes to get an idea – right or wrong – of how someone can be. In that little fragment we decide if the person in front of us pleases us or if he or she can be trusted.

As Oscar Wilde said, there are no second chances for the first impression. It is true that in these psychological processes biases, judgments and prejudices are diluted, as well as the most complex unconscious attributions. The brain has very little time to assess whether this man or woman we have just met is trustworthy or disliked.

That is why it will be difficult for us to be objective in this matter. Also, it is interesting to remember a fact. The human being constantly conducts evaluations. We do it to adjust our behaviors in relation to the stimuli that we encounter.

In this way, something we know from the field of science is that first impressions are powerful and act as that first filter for what may happen later. This can scare us. However, we have something going for us.

Knowing what elements, gestures, attitudes or nuances we must take care of to cause a positive effect is a great advantage that is also within our reach. We analyze it.

Here’s the secret to making a better impression

We have already pointed this out at the beginning. The first impression is influenced by multiple factors, such as our social cognitions and our unconscious attitudes. However, there is an evidence and it is the reference to that attractive people always have half gained ground. They attract more and in turn generate greater confidence to the point of reaffirming the classic cognitive bias that “what is beautiful must be good.”

We judge others and they judge us. Somehow, we all continually evaluate those around us, letting ourselves be carried away by a curious dance between objectivity and subjectivity. In fact, it is very difficult for science to conclude on all those variables that intervene in first impressions. An example is the study that was carried out at the University of Missouri.

In this work, the authors tried to understand those first judgments that are made about candidates in a job interview. The results were not as enlightening as we might have liked: each interviewer tends to focus on a number of aspects.

Now, another study from 2016 that we will now analyze already indicates something more concrete and conclusive. According to the authors, there is a secret to making a better impression.

Wide open and enthusiastic eyes: the look that transmits energy

This work was carried out at the University of Saint Andrews (Scotland), the Karolinska Institute and the University of Stockholm. Something that they point out in the first place and, which we already know, is that a good part of the impressions are influenced by the facial attractiveness of the person. However, there are signs on our face that can be more powerful in improving the judgment of who we have in front of us.

The first one is the opening of the eyelids. Wide-open eyes captivate and denote a series of subjective information to others.

It may seem silly to us, but for our brain, used to drawing quick conclusions from small aspects, a wide open and awake look leads us to think that this person is intelligent, dynamic, positive and someone we can trust. On the other hand, someone tired or sad always has a duller look, tighter eyelids …

The secret to making a better impression may lie in this factor for another reason. Eye contact is key to reaching the other. If we do it through a broad, open and interested look, we will facilitate that emotional imprint so difficult to forget.

The secret to making a better impression: a subtle smile

Smile, but not much. Raise the curvature of our lips, but not in an exaggerated way so as not to detonate falseness or nervousness. That is the key. In this way, another secret to make a better impression is, of course, our smile. As we well know, this gesture is the most effective social glue, the one that we must always carry with us.

Therefore, in that universe in which we are all objects of quick judgments, this small gesture will help us in any situation. However, yes, as they well point out in the research work, it must be a subtle, relaxed, evocative smile, but not forced.

Achieving it is not as easy as we think, therefore, it never hurts to practice it in front of the mirror to achieve a natural, empathetic and friendly expression.

To conclude, let us always remember that the mechanics of the first impression go beyond the greeting or the handshake. We have between nine seconds and two minutes to captivate someone. Therefore, do not hesitate to apply these two keys: an open look and a sincere smile.