Science Sheds Light on the Importance of a First Impression
According to research published by Willis and Todorov, it only takes 100 milliseconds exposure of a face to make a judgment on attractiveness, likeability, trustworthiness, competence, aggressiveness, and more. With this in mind, we decided to merge the worlds of art and science and host an event, The Science Behind a Good Headshot, to not only educate attendees about the importance of a perfect picture, but also provide them with a fresh one!
Megan Yelley, a local Pittsburgh photographer, set up a studio on the fifth floor of Bridgeside to capture our community in their best light, while also discussing the intricacies of the industry. And as Megan snapped photos, she also shared some incredibly helpful tips:
Practice posing before your professional headshot. It might seem silly, but practicing in the mirror can help you fine-tune your best headshot poses.
Make sure to pose straight on, left profile, and right profile to maximize your best angle!
Do your best to take direction. You are working with a professional who wants you to look and feel your best.
Sit on the edge of your chair to have better posture.
Laughter is key – it makes your smile more natural!
And with the artistic component covered, we also wanted to shed light on the scientific side. According to researchers at the Department of Psychology at the University of York, a study was conducted where 1,000 images of faces were analyzed in order to understand the specific features that help make a good first impression.
The research revealed there are 65 different features that could affect one's perceptions, including the curve of a nose, the position of a cheekbone, and the general head area. More specifically, they found that each of the features could have an effect on three distinct dimensions:
1. Approachability – "Does the person want to harm me?"
2. Dominance – "Can this person help or harm me?"
3. Youthful attractiveness – "Might this person be a good romantic partner or a rival?"
The importance of a first impression, in the form of a headshot, was incredibly helpful for our participants to know, since majority of them had never had one taken. And to no surprise, the majority also planned to use their new photo on LinkedIn.
