Now is the time to have that first date. Some come nervous, others sure of themselves, hopeful perhaps … Will I like it? Will you like it? The great risks of the first dates require a great deal of interpretation of the words and gestural behavior of the possible future partners; analyze that first impression. It is important to get an accurate impression of an individual on a first date because we often rely on these first encounters to decide whether or not to pursue a romantic relationship.
But can we trust these first impressions to accurately assess someone’s personality? According to a team of researchers from McGill University (Canada), the answer is yes, although it may be more difficult than in more informal settings.
“The first impression is what counts,” goes the famous saying. Well, scientists have discovered that just a few minutes is all the time you need to make a good impression on your potential partner.
The Canadian expert team involved 372 volunteers to take part in a speed dating event , where volunteers had to rate each other’s personalities after each three-minute speed dating session. Previously, the participants were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess their personality and well-being. A close friend or family member also filled out a questionnaire on the participant’s personality. The participants then had a series of short three-minute first dates; And, after each interaction, they rated their date’s personality.
The researchers found that, in general, participants were able to get an accurate picture of their appointment within that time, 3 minutes, but those who felt greater well-being were even easier to “read.”
“Some people are open books whose distinctive personalities can be accurately perceived after a brief interaction, while others are more difficult to read,” says Lauren Gazzard Kerr, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at McGill University and a co-author of the job. “Surprisingly, people who report feeling greater well-being with their life, self-esteem and satisfaction in general in their day to day, tend to facilitate the task,” he explains.
Why are some people easier to recognize at first glance?
“Perhaps people who have greater well- being behave more in accordance with their personality, being more authentic or true to themselves ,” says Lauren Human, leader of the work that collects the Journal of Research in Personality.
After completing this initial study, since the sample was quite limited, the researchers are seeking to determine exactly why those who claim to feel greater well-being in their life are perceived with greater precision in the first dates. They also want to explore the consequences of first impressions on later romantic interest.
“Understanding why some people can be seen with greater precision could help us determine strategies that other people could apply to improve the precision with which they are perceived by others,” says Human.
Referencia: “Are some first dates easier to read than others? The role of target well-being in distinctively accurate first impressions” by Lauren Gazzard Kerr et al. Journal of Research in Personality
