Eyeblinks in formation of impressions

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of frequency of one's eyeblinks on creating a personal impression. The subjects, 102 males and 127 females, ages 15 to 60 years, rated on a 7-point semantic differential scale a rarely blinking person or a frequently blinking person described on a question-sheet. A factor analysis of the ratings yielded three factors, interpreted as Nervousness, Unfriendliness, and Lack of intelligence. The frequently blinking person was rated as more nervous and less intelligent than the rarely blinking person. Present results provided evidence that frequency of eyeblinks may play an important role on the formation of impressions. Further implications of the findings are discussed.