It usually takes a while to read someone - but what can we conclude about people after just 7 seconds? Psychiatrists reveal tricks on how to read people in a short time.
You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but science has proven that we do just that. Humans usually form an impression of a person within the first 7 seconds of meeting them - even though it's often wrong, we stick with it long after!
What exactly do we conclude in such a short period of time?
Reliability
A tenth of a second is enough to judge whether we can trust someone. The research was conducted among students: one group had 100 milliseconds to rate the attractiveness, aggressiveness, cuteness, trustworthiness and some other qualities on the actors' faces, while the other group was not limited in time. When thinking about features, some took more time and some took less time, except for reliability - both groups rated it in the same time frame.
Financial situation
Our status can be revealed by the clothes we wear; researchers have found that people who wear a brand of clothing (eg Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger) are perceived as "richer", although this is not necessarily the case.
Sexual orientation
Did you know that it only takes one second to judge someone else's sexual orientation?
Intelligence
Whether someone will see you as an intelligent person can also depend on the way you communicate and make eye contact during a conversation. "Eye contact" during a conversation is very important. It gives the impression of an intelligent person, and the most capable among us know how to use it and turn it to their advantage.
A tendency to promiscuity
One study found that British people experience women with tattoos differently; they consider them less attractive and more promiscuous than others of the fairer sex, whose skin is not "decorated" with tattoos.
Predominance
Although many men despair of hair loss, it is study University of Pennsylvania showed that there is no reason to be sad - bald men are characterized as more dominant, intelligent and manly than those with hair.
Adventurous spirit
Appearance is not the only thing that people "measure" when meeting a person - we also form some impressions from the person's movements. We perceive people who walk more casually as more open and adventurous.