Forming Trust Judgments: Snap Judgments Based on Facial Features

When interacting with strangers for the first time, we quickly form judgments about their trustworthiness based on their facial features and expressions. Dr. Anna Bockler-Ritek, a social psychologist, explains that our brains categorize faces along two dimensions: dominance and trustworthiness. However, these judgments formed in a fraction of a second are often inaccurate. The first impression we receive is taken as an indication of trustworthiness, even though there is no reliable evidence that facial features directly reflect trustworthiness. These snap judgments can impact our behavior and interactions, but they lack accuracy and can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.