He's loud, he spills his drink on you and he makes fun of your team.
Days later, you're walking in the park, when suddenly it starts to pour rain.
Who should show up at your side to offer you an umbrella?
The same guy from the football game.
Do you change your mind about him based on this second encounter...
...or do you go with your first impression and write him off?
Research in social psychology suggests that...
...we're quick to form lasting impressions of others based on their behaviors.
We manage to do this with little effort,...
...inferring stable character traits from a single behavior...
...like a harsh word or a clumsy step.
Using our impressions as guides,...
...we can accurately predict how people are going to behave in the future.
Armed with the knowledge the guy from the football game...
...was a jerk the first time you met him,...
...you might expect more of the same down the road.
If so, you might choose to avoid him the next time you see him.
That said, we can change our impressions in light of new information.
Behavioral researchers have identified consistent patterns...
...that seem to guide this process of impression updating.
On one hand, learning very negative, highly immoral information about someone...
...typically has a stronger impact...
...than learning very positive, highly moral information.
So, unfortunately for our new friend from the football game,...
...his bad behavior at the game might outweigh his good behavior at the park.
Research suggests that this bias occurs because immoral behaviors...
...are more diagnostic or revealing of a person's true character.
