Impression management behaviors include accounts (providing 'explanations for a negative event to escape disapproval'), excuses (denying 'responsibility for negative outcomes'), and opinion conformity ('speak(ing) or behav(ing) in ways consistent with the target'), along with many others. By utilizing such behaviors, those who partake in impression management are able to control others' perception of them or events pertaining to them. Impression management is possible in nearly any situation, such as in sports (wearing flashy clothes or trying to impress fans with their skills), or on social media (only sharing positive posts). Impression management can be used with either benevolent or malicious intent. Impression management is usually used synonymously with self-presentation, in which a person tries to influence the perception of their image. The notion of impression management was first applied to face-to-face communication, but then was expanded to apply to computer-mediated communication.

The concept of impression management is applicable to academic fields of study such as psychology and sociology as well as practical fields such as corporate communication and media. The foundation and the defining principles of impression management were created by Erving Goffman in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Impression management theory states that one tries to alter one's perception according to one's goals. In other words, the theory is about how individuals wish to present themselves, but in a way that satisfies their needs and goals. Goffman 'proposed to focus on how people in daily work situations present themselves and, in so doing, what they are doing to others', and he was 'particularly interested in how a person guides and controls how others form an impression of them and what a person may or may not do while performing before them'. Theory Motives Ī range of factors that govern impression management can be identified. It can be stated that impression management becomes necessary whenever there exists a kind of social situation, whether real or imaginary.

Logically, the awareness of being a potential subject of monitoring is also crucial. Furthermore, the characteristics of a given social situation are important. Specifically, the surrounding cultural norms determine the appropriateness of particular nonverbal behaviours. The actions have to be appropriate to the targets, and within that culture, so that the kind of audience as well as the relation to the audience influences the way impression management is realized.

Self impression management definition