Impression Formation

Impression formation is the process by which we form an overall impression of someone’s character and abilities based on available information about their traits and behaviors. For example, if a new employee in our office shows up to her first day of work in a messy, wrinkled outfit, we may judge her negatively and expect her work to be sloppy just like her clothes. Initial impressions are not always accurate though. If the employee consistently does good work we may start to view her differently.