First Impressions: The Science of Making People Remember You First impressions are formed in approximately 100 milliseconds and influence every subsequent interaction. Research by Willis and Todorov (2006) published in Psychological Science found that people make judgments about trustworthiness, competence, and likability in a tenth of a second, and longer exposure doesn’t significantly change those initial assessments. First impressions are neurological shortcuts that determine whether someone wants to invest more time with you. Your brain categorizes someone as approach or avoid, interesting or forgettable, before conscious thought kicks in. A tenth of a second. That’s how long you have before someone’s brain has already decided how it feels about you. Before you’ve said a word. Before you’ve shaken their hand. Before they know your name, your job, or anything about you.…