People Like You More Than You Think, a New Study Suggests

If you’re convinced you don’t usually make a good first impression you should relax– a new study finds people often underestimate how much another person likes them after first meeting them. Researchers from Harvard and Cornell ran a series of experiments in which two people, meeting for the first time, rated their own conversational performance and the other person’s. They found people consistently rated their conversation partner as more likable and enjoyable to talk to than they rated themselves. Shy participants were especially prone to thinking this way, but it happened across personality types. There was also evidence that the misconception persists beyond just the first interaction, potentially lasting months or even longer. Psychologist and study co-author Gus Cooney says the findings show people tend to be harder on themselves than they are on new acquaintances and adds, “We always have this post-mortem with ourselves. That little voice in your head turns on, and you start thinking about your conversation. Be suspicious of this voice and its accuracy.” Read the whole story here.