THE SCIENCE BEHIND YOUR HEADSHOT

You probably know that first impressions form quickly, but do you know how quickly? Research has shown that it can take as little as 1/10th of a second - not in the commonly cited “blink of an eye,” but in even less time than that. In 2006, Princeton University’s Alexander Todorov conducted studies in which people were shown pairs of photos and then asked to choose the more competent person based only on these quick glances at their photos. The participants in this study didn’t know it, but the people in the photos were rivals in U.S. political races. And 70% percent of the time, the one chosen as more competent was the winner of the race. Read the full story here. Swiss researchers conducted a similar study in 2009, with Swiss schoolchildren. They were shown photos of rival candidates in the French presidential election and, without knowing anything about them, favored the winner with more than 65% accuracy.

Forming a judgment that quickly is an unconscious process, but it strongly influences our conscious choices - choices like voting for someone, or choosing to do business with someone. That’s why a business headshot ought to be carefully and thoughtfully crafted. Because so many business relationships these days begin with an internet search rather than a face-to-face encounter, your headshot is very likely to be your first point of contact with potential clients. And, in a process that they can’t control and may not even be aware of, those potential clients will form an opinion of you. Subtle differences in expression and appearance fuel those unconscious judgments, and those unconscious judgments fuel the conscious decision to engage your services - or not.

In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman further details how this process works. Find the book here.  He explains that there are two systems at work in your mind. System 1 is the part of your mind that continually scans your surroundings. This can be thought of as the subconscious. If you hear a loud noise, it’s System 1 that turns your head towards the source. System 1 then prods System 2 - something is out of the ordinary; you need to check it out! System 2 is the part of your mind that looks out the window, sees that it’s a breezy day, sees that a door that was standing open is now closed, and concludes that the wind blew the door shut. Mystery solved.

How does this apply to headshots? System 1 would be the part of your potential client’s mind that makes that 1/10th of a second judgment of you based on your photo. Alexander Todorov has also shown that certain desirable character traits, like attractiveness and intelligence, correlate with a quick assessment of trustworthiness and that there is broad agreement on these social judgments. More here. Depending on a number of minute details, such as the height of your chin, the tilt of your head, the width of your smile, System 1 might assess you as welcoming or arrogant; sincere or not; trustworthy or shifty.

Once System 1 has its snap decision, it summons System 2 to validate that decision. And here’s the thing: System 2 is lazy. In the absence of any contradictory evidence, it will rubber-stamp System 1’s decision. If you meet someone in person, System 1 might say “She’s scowling. She looks unfriendly,” and System 2, after a little more observation of you or conversation with you might say, “No, not unfriendly. She was just squinting at that tiny little phone screen.” But when System 1 makes its assessment based on a photo - System 2 receives no contradictory input. The decision is made, and, if your headshot isn’t carefully and thoughtfully crafted, it might not be a fair assessment of who you are.

It is critical to make sure your body language, head angle, wardrobe, lighting and all the other little things that can work in your favor actually do. At C1M, we have years of experience crafting headshots, and we know about the science behind it. We use both to make sure your headshot that will do all that it needs to in that all-important first glance.