Impression Management
I would like to underline that the handshaking field experiment was a very unusual and interesting task for me. As a participant I felt myself a little bit confused, because the majority of strangers to whom I appealed did not want to shake hands. Some students asked the reason; others just made busy faces by deepening into their Smart phones completely. I tried to make positive impression by smiling and trying to avoid unnecessary gestures, my voice was calm. I presented myself as a self-confident, proactive person.
I proposed to shake hands to 16 people, Asian: 3, Black: 4, White: 5, Hispanic: 3, Middle Eastern: 1. Asian students demonstrated the biggest reluctance to shake hands that was not surprisingly if knowing their culture and the desire to minimize unnecessary interference in personal space. The stranger, who offers to shake hands, even in the most positive manner, is perceived as an intrusion. The majority of experiment participants avoided any eyes contact.
My partner’s name was XXX XXX My partner also communicated with 16 students, 5 Asian, 4 Black, 4 White and 3 Hispanic. I should admit that Asian students reacted the same way as in the case when I was a participant. They tried to avoid handshaking looking very confused. However, Michelle succeeded to persuade the majority of them to shake hands in a very friendly way. I reckon that field research is a useful methodology to experience “live” impressions and to be able to practice the chosen experiment role in a real life. It allows receiving firsthand knowledge that no other methodology does: about the processes the researcher studies, people and the event he/she studies. A field research gives an opportunity to get those experiences of daily life that cannot be received by applying another …
