Face Value: Just One Look?

Date: Tuesday, January 16
Wine Reception: 6:30PM
Talk: 7:00PM
Cost: Free for members; $15 for guests

Alexander Todorov will explain the modern, scientific story behind first impressions and why we pay so much attention to faces; why they lead us astray; and what our judgments can actually tell us. Todorov, author of Face Value: the Irresistible Influence of First Impressions, will explore why the quick character assessments and opinions we make are irresistible but usually incorrect. Ultimately, the impressions we draw from faces reveal a map of our own biases and stereotypes instead of providing an accurate telling of the personalities of others.

Alexander Todorov is Professor of Psychology at Princeton University, where he is also affiliated with the Princeton Neuroscience Institute and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. After graduating from Sofia University in Bulgaria, he studied at Oxford University for a year. He holds a master’s degree from the New School for Social Research in 1998, and a Ph.D. from NYU in 2002, where he received the Stuart Cook Award for Excellence in Social-Personality Research. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship and his research on first impressions has been covered by media around the world, including The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, The Daily Telegraph, Scientific American, PBS, NPR, Google Talks and the Rubin Museum.