Speech Paper Common Tendencies in Perception Topic: We cling to first impression

Question

Speech Paper Common Tendencies in Perception Topic: We cling to first impressions (halo effect) Wrtite a one page paper on this topic.

Your paper must have four paragraphs. The 1st paragraph must be a short introduction of 3-5 sentences about perception.

The 2nd paragraph must be about your experience that illustrates the perceptual error. Explain by giving details about the situation and the persons involved. Paragraph 3 should explain why you think the experience illustrates the perceptual error.

Paragraph 4 is your conclusion and should include insights learned from doing the paper.

Explanation / Answer

Clinging to first impressions means that when we originally meet someone, we decide what they are like from that one time of meeting them. A first impression is what causes someone to like or not like someone depending on the kind of person they get along with.If our impressions are accurate, they can be useful ways of deciding how to respond best to people in the future. One of the reasons for developing an impression is the halo effect.The halo effect is when someone uses one positive characteristic to develop an overall impression of them.Only a short amount of time is necessary to make an impression on someone. Attractiveness is one such characteristic that can be used to develop an overall characteristic. Many of our impressions that are developed are made from stereotypes we have developed. Here is an example;recently I met a friendly person at a party and later I asked her to solicit sponsors for a worthy cause. I contacted that person because I thought she will make a contribution. In reality, there is no inherent connection between being pleasant and being generous. Yet the halo effect lead me to make that unwarranted assumption that the two are related. This perceptual error made me conclude,that if she was good in one category i.e. sociable and friendly, she will also be positive in another category of being generous. First impressions matter, for good and bad. They are fine when you like someone on first meeting; they are not so fine when the first meeting is negative. Positive first impressions lead to social cohesion; negative first impressions lead to biases and social prejudice.The halo effect distorts reality. It creates false impressions.

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