London: A new study has revealed that an opinion about a person is formed in just 10 seconds in a face-to-face interaction.
Researchers from the University of York demonstrated that based on looks the brain processes the information to decide whether the person is trustworthy, aggressive, dominant or simply nice.
The researchers found that trait judgments were first impressions that were made automatically, outside of conscious control, suggesting that a quick glance at a face not only revealed obvious details such as age, sex and emotional state but also indications about the personality.
Tom Hartley, Psychologist, told US journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) said that first impressions of social traits could be formed in as little as 100 milliseconds.
Some of the traits, like the size and shape of the mouth were linked to “approachability”, the eyes were related to youthfulness, and tanned skin, and a strong jawline were linked to masculinity.