--- title: What People Assume When They First Meet You, According to Science description: How you move can affect others' perception canonical: https://time.com/4099607/first-impressions/ author: Business Insider article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-11-05T14:00:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:49.189Z article:section: Ideas og:title: What People Assume When They First Meet You, According to Science og:description: How you move can affect others' perception og:url: https://time.com/4099607/first-impressions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8fc087bcec190bbb/69886f8ca988cacace6b5210/men-handshake-close-up.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6144 og:image:height: 3456 og:image:alt: men-handshake-close-up og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What People Assume When They First Meet You, According to Science twitter:description: How you move can affect others' perception twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8fc087bcec190bbb/69886f8ca988cacace6b5210/men-handshake-close-up.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What People Assume When They First Meet You, According to Science > Sponsored content. 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Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ## Video: Diane von Furstenberg on the Most Important Relationships in Her Life [Watch (HLS stream): Diane von Furstenberg on the Most Important Relationships in Her Life](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/khZcaYPz.m3u8) (3:21)  _Published 2015-04-16. “When I was growing up, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be. I wanted to be glamorous, I wanted to be independent, and I wanted to be driving my own bus,” says the iconic fashion designer._ by [Drake Baer / Business Insider](https://time.com/author/business-insider/) ## Drake Baer / Business Insider Nov 5, 2015 2:00 PM UTC  Bromance BromanceGetty Images by [Drake Baer / Business Insider](https://time.com/author/business-insider/) ## Drake Baer / Business Insider Nov 5, 2015 2:00 PM UTC Psychologists call it “thin slicing.” Within moments of meeting people, you decide all sorts of things about them, from status to intelligence to promiscuity. **If you’re trustworthy** People [decide on your trustworthiness in a tenth of a second](http://digest.bps.org.uk/2006/07/your-trustworthiness-is-judged-in.html). [Princeton researchers found this out](http://pss.sagepub.com/content/17/7/592.short?rss=1&ssource=mfc) by giving one group of university students 100 milliseconds to rate the attractiveness, competence, likeability, aggressiveness, and trustworthiness of actors’ faces. Members of another group were able to take as long as they wanted. While other traits differed depending on time spent looking, trustworthiness was basically the same. **If you’re high-status** A Dutch study found that people wearing name-brand clothes — Lacoste and Tommy Hilfiger, to be precise — were seen as higher status than folks wearing non-designer clothes. “Perceptions did not differ on any of the other dimensions that might affect the outcome of social interactions,” [the authors wrote.](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513810001455) “There were no differences in perceived attractiveness, kindness, and trustworthiness.” Just status. **If you’re smart** A [2007 study](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17312315) led by Loyola Marymount University professor Nora A. Murphy found that looking your conversation partner in the eye was huge for your perceived smartness. “Looking while speaking was a key behavior,” [she wrote](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17312315). “It significantly correlated with IQ, was successfully manipulated by impression-managing targets, and contributed to higher perceived intelligence ratings.” [Wearing thick glasses](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-look-smart-2015-2#put-on-thick-glasses-3) and [speaking expressively](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-look-smart-2015-2#speak-expressively-7) helps, too. **If you’re promiscuous** A [British study](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144507000678) found that women with visible tattoos were perceived as less attractive, heavier drinkers, and more promiscuous than females without any ink — which owes to stereotypes about women with tattoos. “In Britain, at least, tattooing among women is often associated with ‘ladette’ culture, the female equivalent of ‘lad’ culture, which typically involves a proclivity for alcoholic beverages, sports, fast cars, and a plethora of men’s magazines,” [the authors wrote](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144507000678). **If you’re dominant** Bald isn’t just beautiful; it’s powerful. A [University of Pennsylvania study found](http://spp.sagepub.com/content/4/2/198.short) that “men with shaved heads were rated as more dominant than similar men with full heads of hair,” and that “men whose hair was digitally removed were perceived as more dominant, taller, and stronger than their authentic selves.” So if it’s starting to go, shave it off. **If you’re successful** If you want to look successful, get it tailored. In [a British-Turkish study](http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/13612021311305128), participants looked at photos of men in tailored versus off-the-peg suits for just five seconds, with the guys in tailored suits rated as more successful. “On the evidence of this study it appears men may be advised to purchase clothing that is well‐tailored, as it can positively enhance the image they communicate to others,” [the authors wrote](http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/13612021311305128). **If you’re on your way to a promotion** It’s not just status — it’s earnings potential, too. In [a 2011 Canadian study](http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/men/12/2/166/), university students were shown photos of male models dressed in either business or casual attire. They were then asked questions about how that person would perform in a variety of jobs. The results were stark: Not only were the crisply dressed men expected to make more money, they were expected to get promoted more rapidly. **If you’re adventurous** People don’t just read into who you are from your appearance, but also from the way you move. [In a Durham University study](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027712001102), students were shown video clips of 26 other students walking — some with looser gaits, some tighter. Just a few steps were needed to give a sense of personality. Students equated looser gaits with extroversion and adventurousness, while the more clipped walkers were seen as neurotic. _This_ [_article_](http://www.businessinsider.com/science-of-first-impressions-2015-2) _originally appeared on_ [_Business Insider_](http://www.businessinsider.com) _More from Business Insider:_ * [9 science-backed tricks for appearing smarter than you are](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-look-smart-2015-2) * [7 psychological traps that can undermine your success](http://www.businessinsider.com/how-we-sabotage-our-own-success-at-work-2015-8) * [The psychological trick that can help you make better decisions and be more successful](http://www.businessinsider.com/psychological-trick-to-make-better-decisions-2015-10) * [4 psychological tricks to instantly appear competent](http://www.businessinsider.com/tricks-to-instantly-appear-competent-2015-5) * [An introvert shares her favorite psychological trick for speaking in front of strangers](http://www.businessinsider.com/public-speaking-for-introverts-2015-6) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4099607/first-impressions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4099607/first-impressions/"},"headline":"What People Assume When They First Meet You, According to Science","datePublished":"2015-11-05T14:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:04:49.189Z","description":"How you move can affect others' perception","url":"https://time.com/4099607/first-impressions/","keywords":["advice","Psychology","relationships","Science topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8fc087bcec190bbb/69886f8ca988cacace6b5210/men-handshake-close-up.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Drake Baer / Business Insider"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8fc087bcec190bbb/69886f8ca988cacace6b5210/men-handshake-close-up.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"men-handshake-close-up","caption":"men-handshake-close-up","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/advice/","name":"advice"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4099607/first-impressions/","name":"What People Assume When They First Meet You, According to Science"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Diane von Furstenberg on the Most Important Relationships in Her Life","description":"“When I was growing up, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but I knew the kind of woman I wanted to be. 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