Believing or thinking that first impressions are fixed may ease social anxiety, Bar-Ilan University study finds

A new study from Bar-Ilan University reveals that people with social anxiety, a common condition marked by fear or discomfort in social situations, may actually feel and perform better when they believe that others’ opinions of them are fixed rather than changeable. Adopting this “fixed mindset” made social interactions feel less stressful and more manageable, leading to improved performance and more positive everyday experiences.

“For most people, believing that others’ opinions can change motivates growth,” explains Prof. Liad Uziel from Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Psychology, who led the research. “But for individuals with high social anxiety, that constant possibility for change can feel overwhelming. Viewing others’ impressions as relatively stable may make the social world seem more predictable and less mentally draining.”

Published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, the multi-phase research included a preliminary study and three follow-up experiments. The initial findings showed that people with higher social anxiety felt less burdened by social interactions when they adopted a fixed mindset about impression formation. Subsequent experiments confirmed this pattern.

In the first experiment, participants prepared self-introductions for an anticipated meeting. Those with high social anxiety made a worse impression when they believed impressions were changeable (“growth mindset”), but not when they believed impressions were fixed. In a second, more stressful video-based task, the same effect emerged: participants high in social anxiety performed better under a fixed mindset. Finally, in a three-day field study, participants guided to adopt a fixed mindset reported more satisfying and less stressful real-world social experiences than those encouraged to think impressions can change.

The findings suggest that for people with social anxiety, predictability and stability. not change, may foster calm and confidence. A fixed mindset appears to reduce the pressure of constant self-monitoring, freeing mental energy for genuine connection. “For those who often worry about how they are perceived, believing that others’ impressions are stable can be both calming and empowering,” says Prof. Uziel.

This line of research points to promising, low-cost interventions for individuals struggling with social anxiety. Simple mindset shifts could help make social interactions feel less taxing and more rewarding. Prof. Uziel and his team plan to further explore these effects in clinically diagnosed populations and examine how such mindsets shape other forms of social behavior.

This research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF Grant No. 133/23).