ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors look at first impressions from the perspective of information search and candidate evaluation, asking whether the initial encounters voters have with unknown candidates influence the nature of subsequent information search and evaluation. They hypothesize that first impressions have a significant impact on candidate evaluations, even after subjects had a chance to learn more about the politicians. The authors consider whether a positive or negative first impression makes a person more likely to like or dislike the ensuing information encountered about a candidate. They aim to test which first impressions persist even after a period of dedicated information search. The authors present a methodology that allows them to capture the real-time responses of participants to information, allowing for better measurement of affective reactions as they occur. The authors conclude that their data is one of a desire to confirm initial impressions about candidates—whether positive or negative—from the very beginning of the attitude formation process.
