Introduction

We often form judgments of other people based on very little information. We have to decide what we think about a political candidate based on a short sound bite we've seen on T.V. We have to decide whether to hire someone based on a resume or letter of recommendation. We have to decide what to think of our neighbors based on the snippets of gossip we've heard about them that day.

In this activity, you will gain some exposure to the tasks and difficulties that confront people in their day-to-day judgments of other people.Ê Our focus is on how expectations, such as those inspired by a person's attitudes, biases, and stereotypes, aid and hamper people as they evaluate others.

We will start by showing you a series of sentences that describe the behavior or characteristics of other people. Your job is to look the sentences over and form an impression of the person described in each sentence. You don't have to come up with a detailed impression—that would be impossible—but you need only read about the person depicted in each sentence and come to some sort of impression of him or her.

Begin the Activity.