Divergent findings on interpersonal accuracy may to a large extent be explained by differences in conceptualization and measurement approaches. First impressions can be (e.g., Ambady et al., 1999) but are not necessarily accurate (e.g., Rule et al., 2013 see Wood, 2014 for a detailed review on first impressions accuracy). Is the first impression of Professor Jones about Jane accurate? Accuracy in interpersonal perception typically refers to the correspondence between the subjective perception of the interaction partners and some more objective (i.e., more stable with respect to time and influences) criterion (e.g., Funder and West, 1993 Brauer and Proyer, 2020). One important characteristic of first impressions is their accuracy. Given the power of first impressions, understanding their various characteristics becomes essential for ensuring successful communication and avoiding misunderstanding. First impressions are also remarkably influential as they are known to affect and predict situations of high personal (e.g., employment interviews Harris and Garris, 2008) and societal relevance (e.g., political elections Olivola and Todorov, 2010). These impressions are formed quickly and spontaneously ( Willis and Todorov, 2006) and are long-lasting (e.g., Gunaydin et al., 2017). First impressions are the inferences we make about someone upon an initial encounter with them. The opening anecdote describes a situation in which a first impression occurs-that of Professor Jones about her new graduate student Jane. Professor Jones, still at her desk, smiled as she went over her first meeting with Jane: “What a clever girl! Quite anxious, true, but so resourceful – such an interesting research topic… I hope my feedback helps her get the finer details right.” First Impressions Jane was shaking as she left her new mentor’s office: “She suggested so many changes… She must have thought I am totally incompetent… How am I ever going to get my degree?!”
Finally, we make several suggestions for further research that could be beneficial to the future development and expansion of the field. We also summarize the central research themes and types of stimuli that have been studied in relation to the meta-accuracy of first impressions. Following a definitions-and-methodology-focused overview of the historical development of the topic, we present comparative synthesis and analysis of the key conceptualization and measurement methods used to study the meta-accuracy of first impressions. In order to reduce conceptual and methodological overwhelm, facilitate understanding of the topic, and stimulate future work in the field, we conducted a brief introductory literature review on the meta-accuracy of first impressions. The meta-accuracy of first impressions (i.e., how accurately one understands others’ perception of oneself) can be conceptualized and measured in various ways. Department of Psychology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Institute for Population and Human Studies, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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