Accuracy of perceiving social attributes

A wealth of research shows that people can achieve accurate interpersonal judgments of others based on brief observations of their nonverbal cues. Here, we review evidence demonstrating that people can accurately judge others’ kinship, sexual orientation, religious identity, political ideology, and professional success from subtle cues in their physical appearance and expressive behavior. Following this discussion, we detail some of the major factors that can influence the accuracy of these judgments. Finally, we end by reflecting on what this research has elucidated about basic processes in person perception and nonverbal behavior more generally. From exchanging glances on the street to meeting for the first time at a party, people consistently infer others’ social attributes. Such “snap judgments” are principally achieved by categorizing individuals into social groups, from which perceivers extrapolate additional evaluations using group-based stereotypes (Macrae & Bodenhausen, 2000). Although a rich literature documents the biases rife in social