The concept of “thin slicing” is appealing to me because it is inevitable, and arguably unconscious. Regardless of what culture, time period, or community you live in, you form impressions of people. These split-second judgments have been termed thin slices, and while they are based on someone’s physical appearance, they oftentimes present themselves before the “judge” is aware they they are judging. Indeed, despite how strongly you protest you operate beyond they influence of stereotypes or how little value you place on people’s physical appearance, you are wrong. In fact, these very beliefs contribute to the formation of schemas that serve as a framework for your understanding of events, groups, and individuals’ roles.
As I was listening to the lecture on Monday, I realized how easy it is to purposefully influence other people’s first impressions (i.e. thin slices) of yourself! Quite regularly, I use clothes to achieve this purpose; and I would argue that virtually everyone does as well. As an example, I would assume that everyone in our class can remember the process of picking out their first day of school outfit (if not in high school, than in middle school). If this example doesn’t hold true for you, then what about the day of your first interview, maybe an interview for college admission or for your first “real” job. Did you wear your favorite outfit, or did you wear something that would lead the interviewer to make certain assumptions/judgements about you? Personally, I wore something that I thought (based on my experiences and existing schemas) would characterize me as put-together, conservative, intelligent. An example we mentioned in class is the fact that many people choose to wear glasses in some situations based on the popular belief that glasses serve as a cue that the wearer is smart or educated.
Unfortunately, I view myself as someone who may rely on (and place too much stock in) clothes as a means to manipulate others’ impressions of me. Specifically, I rely on the fact that people with form a “thin slice” of me based on my appearance (i.e. my clothes), and that this appraisal will group me in one of their existing schemas. Therefore, I choose which outfit to wear based on which schema I am trying to appeal to. I say "thin slice away!" In my defense, I don’t do this everyday (at least not consciously :)). I save this sort of deliberation for “special occasions.” ;)
The first example that comes to mind is my extreme refusal to wear any brand affiliated with an activity that I personally don’t engage in. I cannot buy or even borrow any clothes on which the words “Etnies” or “DC” are visible. I don’t buy or wear these brands because I don’t skateboard, bike, rollerskate or participate in, let alone know how to do any of these sports, and I don’t want anyone getting the impression I do! My decision of what to wear on planes is another example of my preoccupation with my clothes serving as a potential contributor to others’ impressions of me. I rarely pick my traveling clothes on the basis of comfort. Instead, I think about the first people I’m going to see when I arrive at my destination and what I want them to “thin slice” me as. Specifically, when I go to St. Louis to see my grandma and my 9 aunts and uncles, I choose my outfit accordingly regardless of whether or not I have to catch a 7 am flight and this involves waking up an hour earlier than necessary to shower and get ready.
In sum, these examples serve as evidence for my belief that thin slicing serves as a method of characterizing someone based on your existing schemas.
**I'm not including any citations because there has been some drama in securing the book and thus the ideas I am referencing in this post are taken solely from the lecture Monday. :)
