How long does a first impression take to form? Seconds
How long does it take to form a first impression? Research gives answers from 33 milliseconds to 27 seconds. Princeton psychologists found a tenth of a second is enough to judge a face. The exact number varies by study, but every study agrees: people decide about you before you say a word.
Eleven, seven, one, a millisecond? Tracy, one of my subscribers, wanted to know exactly how long we really have, and which research is behind the number. Fair question.
If you have watched any of my talks, you may have heard me count to seven at the very beginning. I do it to drive home one point: we size each other up incredibly fast. Whether it is seven seconds, five or one does not change the lesson. What matters is how quickly we make up our minds about people.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Princeton researchers found that a tenth of a second is enough to judge attractiveness and trustworthiness from a face.
- A University of York study puts the window at 33 to 100 milliseconds for a single glance at a face.
- A survey of more than 2,000 Americans landed on 27 seconds, and 69% formed an impression before the other person spoke.
- The famous “11 decisions in 7 seconds” is not backed by research that quantifies it that precisely.
- Studies differ in methods and test groups, so do not build your plans on one number. Plan how you show up instead.
How long does it take to form a first impression, according to research?
Many studies look at how fast we judge each other. Some say milliseconds, others suggest longer. Here are the ones I get asked about most.
Tenth of a second
Two psychologists at Princeton concluded that it takes only a tenth of a second to form a first impression. In separate tests, they studied the judgments participants made about faces. The fastest decision was about attractiveness, followed closely by trustworthiness.
27 seconds
Another study, which surveyed more than 2,000 Americans, concluded that you have 27 seconds. It also found that:
- 69% of participants formed a first impression of someone before that person even had a chance to speak.
- 83% felt more positive about someone who seemed confident in themselves.
33 to 100 milliseconds
A study by the University of York suggests that a single glance at a face, lasting 33 to 100 milliseconds, is enough. Based on 126 university students, it found only slight additions to people’s impressions between 100 and 500 milliseconds. In other words, they had mostly made up their minds within the first tenth of a second.
7 seconds
I often refer to work associated with NYU that describes up to eleven assumptions people may make about you within seven seconds, depending on the occasion. Then I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Solomon in person. He told me how often this idea gets misused, presented as if it takes exactly seven seconds and exactly eleven assumptions. According to him, no research quantifies it as precisely eleven decisions in seven seconds.
It is a perfect example of experts bending studies to prove their own point.
Why do the studies disagree?
Don’t misinterpret
Many of these studies show participants photos of strangers and measure how long they take to rate certain traits. Results differ by population. Age, gender, race and other personal factors play a huge role in how we form assumptions about others, and we all process information at different speeds. Every study uses different test groups and different methods, and none can be recreated exactly in real life.
Don’t ignore
What all of them do have in common: we form first impressions fast, often before we have shaken hands or spoken a word. Whatever the exact number of seconds, we evaluate and jump to conclusions about people in very little time.
We base those impressions on appearance, behavior and communication, and today on the digital footprint people leave behind. Nobody walks into a meeting planning to judge. We do it subconsciously and effortlessly.
Think of the hundreds, maybe thousands, of encounters you have every day, in person and online. Think about how quickly you size someone up. You rarely notice it happening in your own head. Now remember that the same process runs in everybody else’s head too, about you.
Instead of obsessing over a specific amount of time, think about how you will make the most of every encounter.
Don’t take out of context
Do not lift studies out of context. Plenty of research has been miscommunicated in the business world to make science say what people want it to say, and first impression research is no exception. Make sure you are not planning how you show up around a number that does not hold up in the real world.
The most useful thing to remember walking into any room: eyes are on you before you get the chance to shake anyone’s hand. Prepare, and you show people why you deserve their respect. Your confidence grows with every encounter you plan on purpose, so you come across the way you want to, from the very first millisecond.
Did it go wrong anyway? Here is how to overcome a bad first impression. And for the bigger picture, read how important first impressions really are.
How You Resonate
If people decide in a blink, the blink deserves a plan. My online course shows you the five dimensions people read in those first moments and the seven personas they sort you into, so you can shape the verdict instead of hoping for it.
Frequently asked questions
How many seconds does it take to make a first impression?
It depends on the study. Princeton researchers found a tenth of a second is enough to judge a face, a University of York study points to 33 to 100 milliseconds, and a survey of 2,000 Americans landed on 27 seconds. All of them agree it happens fast, usually before you speak.
Is the 7-second rule for first impressions true?
The idea that people make eleven decisions about you in seven seconds is widely quoted, but Dr. Solomon, connected to the original NYU work, told me no research quantifies it that precisely. The useful truth behind it holds: people form impressions within seconds, so treat seven seconds as a reminder, not a fact.
What do people judge first in a first impression?
According to the Princeton research, attractiveness is judged fastest, followed by trustworthiness. In everyday life, people read your appearance first, then your behavior and communication, and increasingly your digital footprint, often before they ever meet you in person.
Can you control how fast people judge you?
No, the speed is automatic and subconscious. What you can control is what people see in that moment. Prepare your appearance, your body language and your first words, and check what your online presence says, so the quick judgment people make lines up with who you really are.
