IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT

- BY YASH VARDHAN SINGH

Impression Management
• It is a goal-directed conscious or unconscious attempt to influence the perceptions of other people
about a person, object or event by regulating and controlling information in social interaction.

• IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT is how to make a favorable impression, how to perceive others

and evaluate others on the basis of
 Dress, make-up, hairstyle,

 Manner and general behavior,

 Body language.

• The process of portraying yourself to others in a manner that creates a desired impression.

• Impression Management is the goal- directed activity of controlling and regulating information in
order to influence the impressions formed by an audience.
 Types of Impression Management
• Constructive -- helps in the formation of
self identity
• Strategic -- helps in the attainment of some
interpersonal goal
Tactics of Impression Management
• Self enhancement:
 It includes efforts to boost one’s physical
appearance.
 Efforts to increase their appeal to others.
 Includes using ‘props’ to enhance their appeal.
 To the whole world.
 Ex. Social websites.
 Social Identity Theory
• Personal versus Social identity continuum.
• Personal identity self description is a part of
intragroup comparison.
• Description of self at social identity level is
intergroup comparison.
The Personal versus Social
Identity Continuum
Conflict between Personal Identity and
Social Identity
• When a person does an act which is
inconsistent to that of his social identity then
such conflict arises.
 Self Presentation
• It depends on situation
• It depends on others’ treatment
• Other enhancement:
 It includes tactics to gain one’s liking such as
flattery
 Tactics to induce positive moods and reactions in
others.
 Certainty of target person or group.
 Ex. Dressing up according to a certain person’s
liking
 TECHNIQUES OF IMPRESSION
MANAGEMENT :-
 Conformity Self-
Favors
Excuses Descriptions
Apologies
Flattery Association
Self promotion Verbal Self-
Flattery Presentation Opinion
Acclaiming
Favors Conformity
Association
Apologies Excuse
• Opinion Conformity
Impression Management Tactics
The target of perception matches A subordinate tries to imitate her boss’s
Behavioral
his or her behavior to that of the behavior by being modest and soft-spoken
Matching perceiver. because her boss is modest and soft-spoken.

The target tries to present herself A worker reminds his boss about his past
Self-
or himself in as positive a light as accomplishments and associates with co-
Promotion possible. workers who are evaluated highly.

Conforming The target follows agreed-upon A worker stays late every night even if she has
completed all of her assignments because
to Situational rules for behavior in the staying late is one of the norms of her
Norms organization.
organization.
Appreciating The target compliments the per- A coworker compliments a manager on his
ceiver. This tactic works best when excellent handling of a troublesome employee.
or Flattering
flattery is not extreme and when it
Others involves a dimension important
to the perceiver.

Being The target’s beliefs and behaviors A subordinate delivering a message to his boss
are consistent. There is agreement looks the boss straight in the eye and has a
Consistent between the target’s verbal and sincere expression on his face.
nonverbal behaviors.
 Findings of Impression Management
• Ingratiation
– Universal agreement about standard ingratiation tactic

– These include..
Showing an interest in the person
Smiling
Eye contact
Agreeing
Flattery
 Impression Management : Role of
Cognitive Load
• Impression management skills excercised by
us for years.
• At the time of performing other tasks we are
less concentrated to presenting ourselves.
• Pontari and Schlenker concluded that who are
uncomfortable in social situations, if busy in
performing other task may present
themselves better.
• Research included Extroverts and introverts at
the time of job interview.
• Cognitive busyness of introverts and
extroverts people interfered with in
presenting themselves.
 IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT BY
MARGINALIZED PEOPLE
• Case of eunuchs
 Largely perceived as the person who are
incapable of doing a impressive political
leadership.
But in MP when they were elected to be
representative, then they have managed their
impression in such a form that they are perceived
by Society risen above corruption and caste.
 Conclusion
From all the
objectives, techniques, findings, tactics , and
tips we can conclude that Impression
Management plays a vital role in all fields such
as in organisations, hospitals, education
institutions etc.
So, Impression Management is the
process through which one person influence
others.