Lesson 7-the psychology of impressions

 Lesson 1-Why your first impressions matter to teachers and your last impressions for your friends

This may seem small but it actually has a powerful impact in school.

I can still remember one time in class and my teacher went around to check the work,but she completely skipped over mine-she had assumed I had completed it.The truth?I had been chatting and daydreaming-totally behind.

That’s when I realised how prominent first impressions are,they build up this “good reputation” of you,not that it’s a facade but that it means that you don’t have to constantly prove it and theyre more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if you slip up as its not deemed as your usual behaviour.

Disclaimer:First impressions can give you a little breathing room-however it doesn’t replace genuine effort.All it means is that teachers notice your consistent effort and assume it wil continue.

Teachers-Why first impressions stick

Have you ever realised how quickly you judge someone?

Teachers do this too-its known as the primary effect-simply put it’s the fact that people are more inclined to remembering the first piece of information than information later received.

Its nothing personal its just that teachers have to manage a plethora of students and simply wont be able to know each person immediately.

 Thus mental shortcuts are used to make quicker judgements- and when they notice information that confirms their initial belief -etc you being a good student-it only strengthens the intitial impression known as confirmation bias.

Disclaimer-Of course this doesn’t mean that teachers wont change opinions if your charcter changes or that some teachers are genuinely unfair at times but it means that it can shape expectations or how much scrutiny you receive.

How to use it to your advantage:

l Be punctual,organised and dedicated.

l Show engagement and attentiveness visually or aurally.Freindships-Why last impressions stick?

Unlike with teachers,with freindships the opposite usually applies known as the recency effect  whether it is onoing or has ended as we give more weight to recent information especially those with more emotional impact.

 So if a conversation or hangout has been ended positively theyre more likely to perceive you fondly however if it was negative,hindsight bias can distort your memory overemphasising certain moments leaving you to see the whole relatiosnhip in a negative way if it has ended.

 This  is why in freindship breakups, the ending can overshadow the years of fun you had making you focus on “red flags”which can make the freindship seem worser than it actually was which is why it is useful to leave interactions thoughtfully.

Disclaimer-You cant just rely on last impressions as consistent effort is needed for a succesful freindship.Also freindships can end for many reasons beyond the last interaction,people can act unfairly or interpret things differently, its just about leaving behind good memories reagrdless of the outcome and not blaming yourself because sometimes endings are unavoidable and freindships can be rightfully toxic.

Takeaway/tips

l Reflect on the full freindship in a neutral way by remembering the good moments and that some freindships are there for a reason or a season.

l Be empathetic ,leave on a positive note,acknowledge issues calmly and make the other person feel valued.

Stay tuned for more lessons and if you want some support or advice just click here https://tally.so/r/mBR5q5