ABSTRACT
A useful framework for understanding impression management is that it is a control or cybernetic process. We have an ideal in mind of how we would like to be perceived, and we compare that standard to how we think we are currently perceived. We engage in certain behaviors to close the discrepancy between how we are perceived and how we would like to be perceived. The cybernetic perspective also assumes that we are rational, so we stay tuned to feedback that might tell us how well our impression management tactics are working. After receiving the feedback, we fine-tune our tactics to once again close the discrepancy between how we would like to be perceived and how we are perceived. With the modified set of impression management tactics in play, we then seek more feedback and fine-tune our behavior once again. The control process continues until we are satisfied with our approach to impression management.
