Impression Management

While going over the book in Chapter 4, I really got interested in the idea of impression management. Impression management is the "building of an impression of ourselves for ourselves and for others" (Warren & Fasset, 2011) [pg. 69]. The example in the text describes an African-American women, Harper, preparing an image of herself for a job interview. By reviewing books about professionalism and watching videos about proper business attire, she sets out to build this image of herself for the potential employer. The choice of clothing, her manner of entering a room and engaging with superiors, all work together to convey an impression of  Harper to the interviewer. Harper hopes that this impression she has constructed will convince the employer that she is a team player who can be expected to fit in with the rest of the workforce.

The reason this theory interests me is because most of us constantly manage our appearance or mannerisms in order to display an identity. One way this manifests is through the presentation of ourselves to a date. Imagine you have your girlfriend coming over, and your room is a mess. She could think that you are a slob and might think against hanging out with you again. In order to manage the impression, perhaps you decide to clean up the living room and hop in the shower an hour before she is scheduled to come over. Maybe even spray some Febreeze. Even though nothing has really changed about your sense of self, the other person will see you as a clean, responsible, organized man. (Until she moves in, of course)