研究發現:第一印象很難改變

A recent research has proved that first impressions are not easy to change. Although contradicted by new experiences in some context, the first impressions still dominate in other cases。

To investigate the persistence of first impressions, lead researcher Gawronski and his collaborators showed their study participants either positive or negative information about an unknown individual on a computer screen. Then participants were presented with new contrary information about the same individual. And to study the influence of contexts, the researchers changed the background color of the computer screen while participants formed an impression of the target person。

When the researchers measured participants' spontaneous reactions to the target person, they found the new information influenced participants' reactions only when the person was presented against the background in which the new information had been learned. Otherwise, participants' reactions were still dominated by the first information。

"Imagine you have a new colleague at work and your impression of that person is not very favorable," said Gawronski. "A few weeks later, you meet your colleague at a party and you realize he is actually a very nice guy. Although you know your first impression was wrong, your gut response to your new colleague will not be influenced by the first impression only in contexts that are similar to the party. However, your first impression will still dominate in all other contexts."美國“趣味科學”網站19日報道稱，最近一項研究證明，人們的第一印象很難改變。儘管在某些情況下人們接受到的新信息與第一印象相矛盾，但在其他情況下第一印象還是處於主導地位。

爲了研究第一印象作用的持久性，首席研究員佳沃斯基和同事們給受試者在電腦屏幕上給受試者展現了一個陌生人的正面/負面信息。隨後又讓受試者接觸到同一個人的新信息，但與之前的信息矛盾。爲了研究背景情況的影響作用，研究人員在受試者觀察目標對象時還調整了電腦屏幕上的背景色。

當研究人員在記錄受試者對目標對象的本能反應時，他們發現，與某些新信息同時顯現的特定背景顏色再次出現時，再次出現的新信息才能對受試者的反應產生影響。否則，受試者將一直爲第一印象所左右。

“試想你和一個新同事一同工作，他留給你的第一印象不是很好，”佳沃斯基說道。“幾周後，你們在派對中碰面，發現他其實是個很不錯的人。儘管你知道自己的第一印象錯了，但是隻有在與派對情境相似的情況下，你對此人的本能反應纔會不被原有印象所左右。而在其他情境中，你的第一印象還會成爲主宰。”