Think back to the expression from the Week 1 introduction, “... you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Throughout your everyday life, you are developing impressions of or feelings about others and using your perception or view of others to determine who they are. In turn, whether you are simply having a conversation or presenting an essay or a proposal, others are developing impressions of you and using their perception to determine who you are. While you only have one chance to make a “first” impression, impressions can change over time with more information and possibly a change in perception.
For example, you might encounter a person who seems cold or aloof upon your first meeting. After subsequent meetings, you realize this person is very kind and thoughtful. How might your perception and ultimately your impression of this person change based on this change in their behavior? What might this person have perceived differently that changed their impression of you and compelled them to show their kind and thoughtful side? What you might perceive from this is that the behavior you identified as cold and aloof might simply be a cautious behavior this person exhibits until they become better acquainted with others.
In this Assignment, you explore the power of perception when making first impressions and how nonverbal communication influences perception and the impressions you develop about others.
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
Assignment Resource
Weekly Resources
by day 7
Think of a time when you met someone and how your first impression of them (good or bad) changed as you got to know them. Write a 250- to 500-word paper addressing the following:
- Describe your initial meeting with this person, how you developed your first impression and why. Be specific; describe the setting where you met them, what they were wearing, how they sounded, looked, smelled, anything that can help the reader picture your initial encounter with this person. Remember that nonverbal communication affects perception!
- Describe why your perception of them changed. Was there a specific moment when you “knew” your perception of them had changed or did it happen over time? What specific behaviors about them changed your mind? How do you see them differently now? How do you handle the things about them that have not changed (like their fashion sense, perhaps, or the way they speak, etc.)?
- Include at least two terms, tips, or strategies found in this week’s resources. Place these in bold.