First Impressions and Your Appearance: Common Myths and Misconceptions

Just how important are appearance and first impressions? You may be surprised, take a look at some common myths and misconceptions associated with first impressions.

If what you say is important and arresting, it really doesn't matter how you look. This is false. It does matter a lot. According to Dr. Lynn Carol Miller of the psychology department at Scripps College, people are more likely to listen to what you say and to remember it if you're attractive than if you're unattractive.

Physical attractiveness will matter less in the future. Wrong again. Apparently it will matter more. University of Minnesota psychologist Dr. Ellen Berscheid says appearance counts most when rapid assessments are made in initial or one-time encounters. With more adults being thrust back on the dating market because of the high divorce rate and increased mobility there will be more such encounters in the future with new colleagues, neighbors, etc.

The better looking you are, the better off you are. This is unfortunate, but true. Whether it's fair, whether we like it or not, we are judged by our appearance. Dr. Berscheid says that not only are good-looking people more successful in business, they're also presumed to be kinder, warmer, more sincere and more sociable than those who are less attractive.

If you're old, obviously ailing, in need of help, and look in a sorry state, you're more apt to get aid than if you look great. Here we go again. If you look good, people are more apt to help you. In research by psychologists of a study on helping others, sex wasn't important; men and women gave and got help almost equally. Blacks were helped less than whites. Most of the males helped attractive white women. Very few women helped unattractive black men. Generally, however both blacks and whites tend to help the most attractive first.

A woman's attitudes about perfume reveal a great deal about her state of mind. This is very true. The more scent you wear the less secure you are in your love life, according to a university researcher who studied the perfuming habits of over 100 college women

Blonds have more hair than brunettes. This is true. The finer the hair, the more hairs there are on the head and blonds have the finest hairs. Blonds average 140,000 hairs on the head, dark-haired people average 110,000 and redheads average 90,000.

If people tend to forget your face, you're doing something wrong and you need to change your appearance in order to make a better first impression. Relax. If people can't place your face it's because you are attractive. Experts say that attractive faces are more forgettable.

Sources: Demarais, Ann PhD, and Valerie White PhD First Impressions: What You Don't Know About How Others See You 2005