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Famous ExperimentsImpression Formation

One Word Changes Everything

Swap 'warm' for 'cold' in a list and people imagine a whole different person

Someone calls a stranger cold before you meet. How much of your first impression might already belong to them?

You'll find out

  • The word that colors a person
  • Same moment, different story
  • Whose judgment are you using?

Why it matters

Spot borrowed judgments so you can keep useful connections open and choose whom to trust for yourself.

About 3 min6 interactive slides · 5 questionsLesson 12 · Zone 2

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More in this zone

  1. 10First ImpressionsJudged in a Tenth of a SecondYour face is judged before you finish saying hello
  2. 11Social PerceptionWarm or Competent?People notice both how you treat them and what you can do
  3. 13Thin SlicingThin SlicesStudents judged teachers from 30 silent seconds of video and predicted their final ratings
  4. 14Halo EffectBeautiful Means Good?A good-looking face can lend extra credit to qualities you have not checked
  5. 15PowerAct Like You BelongHow you carry yourself can shape a first impression
  6. 16Replication CrisisThe Power Pose MythThe hormone-boost promise did not hold up in larger studies
  7. 17AttentionSay Their NameYour own name can catch your attention, even in a noisy room
  8. 18Liking GapThey Liked You More Than You ThinkPeople often underestimate how much a new acquaintance liked them