Strangers in a Strange Lab: How Personality Shapes Our Initial Encounters with Others

Can we predict how well -- or how poorly -- two strangers will get along? According to social psychologist William Ickes, the answer is yes. Drawing upon relevant research findings from his 30-year career, Ickes explains how initial interactions are shaped by gender, race, birth order, physical attractiveness, androgyny, the Big Five dimensions, shyness, and self-monitoring.

William Ickes is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington. His 20-year program of research on empathic accuracy, which resulted in three international research awards, is summarized in his 2003 book Everyday Mind Reading. His 30-year program of research on personality influences on initial interactions is the topic of the present book. His more than 160 publications include books, book chapters, journal articles, commentaries, and reviews.