Managing Impressions

Impression management refers to individuals' conscious effort to control how others perceive them by adjusting the information they present in specific situations. People engage in impression management to conform to social norms, secure approval, or pursue specific goals. Common motivations include using ingratiation to be liked, self-promotion to gain respect for abilities, and exemplification to appear morally upright.

Individuals employ five primary impression management strategies. Ingratiation uses flattery or agreeableness to be liked. Intimidation aims to elicit fear or compliance. Self-promotion emphasizes competence and achievements to gain respect. Exemplification signals moral integrity. Supplication invokes pity or support by highlighting vulnerability. Each strategy involves selectively presenting oneself to align with social expectations.

Emotional regulation—the ability to express or suppress emotions to meet social expectations—is central to impression management. Each social context determines appropriate emotional displays. Flight attendants must remain courteous even when provoked, while hockey players may display aggression. Deviating from these emotional expectations can result in adverse social evaluations, including judgments of incompetence or unprofessionalism.

During significant life disruptions like job loss or divorce, individuals' ability to manage impressions may be compromised due to heightened emotional distress. Aggression or withdrawal may emerge, often conflicting with socially sanctioned emotional expression. Therapeutic settings and support groups offer structured environments where individuals can reconstruct their identities and adopt new, socially endorsed roles.

By adjusting behavior and emotional expression to fit role demands, individuals uphold reputations and avoid social sanctions through impression management. This adaptability ensures coherence between personal identity and societal expectations, reinforcing both individual credibility and group cohesion. Strategic self-presentation allows people to navigate varied interpersonal settings while maintaining consistent social standing.

Impression management is not necessarily deceptive. Individuals frequently present authentic aspects of themselves that align with situational demands. While it involves selective self-presentation, people genuinely embody the roles and values they emphasize in different contexts. This selective authenticity allows individuals to present truthful facets of themselves appropriate to each social frame.

Different professions demand distinct emotional and behavioral presentations. Flight attendants must maintain politeness and professionalism despite provocation. In contrast, high-intensity sports like hockey encourage aggressive displays. Mortuary science professionals receive training in managing affective responses under distressing conditions. Each profession's social frame determines which emotional expressions and behaviors constitute appropriate impression management.