On Making a Good Impression

THE PROBLEMS and questions involved in a good impres sion are serious and important to everyone, but perhaps especially so to adolescents, who frequently have not yet achieved a very full un derstanding, either of themselves, or of the expectations of other peo ple in general. The present study is concerned with this problem of a good impression, and seeks to identify and point out the changes in emphasis and response which adolescents characteristi cally employ when attempting to present themselves in the best pos sible light. Stated in another way, the aim of the investigation is to explore the psychology of making a good impression in order to deter mine what this concept actually means to adolescents, over and above their more usual and everyday behavior. The research design utilized in this investigation would seem to be simple and straightforward, and well-suited to a study of the problem as stated above. In essence, it consisted of giving a specially designed questionnaire to adolescent samples, first in a normal, or conven tional testing situation, and then a second administration with instruc tions to present oneself in the best possible light. Comparing the two performances then permitted the specification of differentiating fac tors and items, and the discovery of evidence bearing directly on the general question raised. The questionnaire itself was devised partially on the basis of pre vious empirical evidence (1, 2, 3), and partially on speculative (theo retical) grounds. An especial attempt was made to secure items which would have relevance from the social-psychological and role playing points of view, since it seems obvious that a good impression'' falls within the purview of both. The questionnaire as finally assembled comprised 115 items, such as I would rather let a wrong go unnoticed than start a disturbance or argument, I don't like to have people standing around and telling me what to do, and I would rather go without something than ask for a favor, with instructions to answer each item true or false. An effort was made to avoid stilted or turgid phrasing, unusual words, or involved constructions, and to write items which would sound natural, reasonable, and comprehensible to any reader. The questionnaire was then administered to two high school senior