Introduction
Halo
effect is a cognitive bias in which an observer's overall impression of a
person, company, brand, or product influences the observer's feelings and
thoughts about that entity's character or properties. It was named by psychologist
Edward Thorndike in reference to a person being perceived as having a halo.
Subsequent
researchers have studied it in relation to attractiveness and its bearing on
the judicial and educational systems. The halo effect is a specific type of confirmation
bias, wherein positive feelings in one area cause ambiguous or neutral traits
to be viewed positively. Edward Thorndike originally coined the term referring
only to people; however, its use has been greatly expanded especially in the
area of brand marketing.
The
term "halo" is used in analogy with the religious concept: a glowing
circle that can be seen floating above the heads of saints in countless
medieval and Renaissance paintings. The saint's face seems bathed in heavenly
light from his or her halo. Thus, by seeing that somebody was painted with a
halo, the observer can tell that this must have been a good and worthy person.
In other words, the observer is transferring their judgment from one easily
observed characteristic of the person (painted with a halo) to a judgment of
that person's character.
The Halo Effect works both in both
positive and negative directions:
If
you like one aspect of something, you'll have a positive predisposition towards
everything about it.
If
you dislike one aspect of something, you'll have a negative predisposition
towards everything about it.
The
halo effect works in both positive and negative directions (the horns effect):
If the observer like one aspect of something, they will have a positive
predisposition toward everything about it. If the observer dislikes one aspect
of something, they will have a negative predisposition toward everything about
it.
Edward
Thorndike, known for his contributions to educational psychology, coined the
phrase "halo effect" and was the first to support it with empirical
research. He gave the phenomenon its name in his 1920 article “A Constant Error
in Psychological Ratings”. He had noted in a previous study made in 1915 that
estimates of traits in the same person were very highly and evenly correlated.
In “Constant Error”, Thorndike set out to replicate the study in hopes of
pinning down the bias that he thought was present in these ratings.
Role of attractiveness
A
person’s attractiveness has also been found to produce a halo effect.
Attractiveness provides a valuable aspect of the halo effect to consider
because of its multifaceted nature; attractiveness may be influenced by several
specific traits. These perceptions of attractiveness may affect judgments tied
to personality traits. Physical attributes contribute to perceptions of
attractiveness (i.e. weight, hair, eye colour). For example, someone who is
perceived as attractive, due in part to physical traits, may be more likely to
be perceived as kind or intelligent. The role of attractiveness in producing
the halo effect has been illustrated through a number of studies. Recent
research, for example, has revealed that attractiveness may affect perceptions
tied to life success and personality. In this study, attractiveness was
correlated with weight, indicating that attractiveness itself may be influenced
by various specific traits. Included in the personality variables were
trustworthiness and friendliness. People perceived as being more attractive
were more likely to be perceived as trustworthy and friendly. What this
suggests is that perceptions of attractiveness may influence a variety of other
traits, which supports the concept of the halo effect.
Reverse-halo effect
The
devil effect, also known as the reverse halo effect, is when people allow an
undesirable trait to influence their evaluation of other traits. The Guardian
wrote of the devil effect in relation to Hugo Chavez: "Some leaders can
become so demonised that it's impossible to assess their achievements and
failures in a balanced way."
The
relation of a crime to attractiveness is also subject to the halo effect. A
study presented two hypothetical crimes: a burglary and a swindle. The burglary
involved a woman illegally obtaining a key and stealing $2,200; the swindle
involved a woman manipulating a man to invest $2,200 in a non-existent
corporation. The results showed that when the offense was not related to
attractiveness (as in the burglary) the unattractive defendant was punished
more severely than the attractive one. However, when the offense was related to
attractiveness (the swindle), the attractive defendant was punished more
severely than the unattractive one. The study imputes that the usual leniency
given to the attractive woman (as a result of the halo effect) was negated or
reversed when the nature of the crime involved her looks.
Halo effect and branding
The
halo effect is also present in the field of brand marketing. One common halo
effect is when the perceived positive features of a particular item extend to a
broader brand. A notable example is the manner in which the popularity of
Apple’s iPod generated enthusiasm for the corporation's other products. Another
example is Subway's brand image as a "healthy" variety of fast food.
The perception of a restaurant as "healthy" causes consumers to
underestimate the caloric content of its dishes. Marketers take advantage of
the halo effect to sell products and services. When a celebrity spokesperson endorses
a particular item, our positive evaluations of that individual can spread to
our perceptions of the product itself. Job applicants are also likely to feel
the impact of the halo effect. If a prospective employer views the applicant as
attractive or likeable, they are more likely to also rate the individual as
intelligent, competent, and qualified.
The
term "halo effect" has also been applied to human rights
organizations that have used their status to move away from their stated goals.
Political scientist Gerald Steinberg has claimed that non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) take advantage of the "halo effect" and are
"given the status of impartial moral watchdogs" by governments and
the news media.
The
Ronald McDonald House, a widely known NGO, openly celebrates the positive
outcomes it receives from the halo effect. The web page for the Ronald McDonald
House in Durham, North Carolina, U.S. states that 95% of survey participants
were aware of Ronald McDonald House Charities. This awareness is attributed to
the halo effect, as employees, customers, and stakeholders are more likely to
be involved in a charity that they recognize and trust, with a name and logo
that are familiar.
A
brand's halo effect can protect its reputation in the event of a crisis. An
event that is detrimental to a brand that is viewed unfavourably would not be
as threatening or damaging to a brand that consumers view favourably.
Observations
"In
the classroom, teachers are subject to the halo effect rating error when
evaluating their students. For example, a teacher who sees a well-behaved
student might tend to assume this student is also bright, diligent, and engaged
before that teacher has objectively evaluated the student's capacity in these
areas. When these types of halo effects occur, they can affect students'
approval ratings in certain areas of functioning and can even affect students'
grades."
(Rasmussen,
Encyclopaedia of Educational Psychology, Volume 1, 2008)
"In
the work setting, the halo effect is most likely to show up in a supervisor's
appraisal of a subordinate's job performance. In fact, the halo effect is
probably the most common bias in performance appraisal. Think about what
happens when a supervisor evaluates the performance of a subordinate. The
supervisor may give prominence to a single characteristic of the employee, such
as enthusiasm, and allow the entire evaluation to be coloured by how he or she
judges the employee on that one characteristic. Even though the employee may
lack the requisite knowledge or ability to perform the job successfully, if the
employee's work shows enthusiasm, the supervisor may very well give him or her
a higher performance rating than is justified by knowledge or ability."
(Schneider,
F.W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M., Applied Social Psychology, 2012)
The Halo Effect at Work in the Real
World
As
you read above, the halo effect can influence how teachers treat students, but
it can also impact how students perceive teachers. In one study, researchers
found that when an instructor was viewed as warm and friendly, students also
rated him as more attractive, appealing, and likeable.
Marketers
take advantage of the halo effect to sell products and services. When a
celebrity spokesperson endorses a particular item, our positive evaluations of
that individual can spread to our perceptions of the product itself.
Job
applicants are also likely to feel the impact of the halo effect. If a
prospective employer views the applicant as attractive or likeable, they are
more likely to also rate the individual as intelligent, competent, and
qualified.
So,
the next time you trying to make an evaluation of another person, whether it is
deciding which political candidate to vote for or which movie to see on a
Friday night, consider how your overall impressions of an individual might
influence your evaluations of other characteristics. Does your impression of a
candidate being a good public speaker lead you to feel that she is also smart,
kind, and hard-working? Does thinking that a particular actor is good-looking
also lead you to think that he is also a compelling actor?
Being
aware of the halo effect, however, does not make it easy to avoid its influence
on our perceptions and decisions.
Conclusion
It’s
important to keep the Halo Effect in mind as you are planning sites, designing
flows, defining key performance indicators (KPIs), and measuring your site
because drop-offs at any one point in your users’ experience may indicate a
poor first impression via design, content, site performance, and so on.
Additionally, it’s important to supplement quantitative data sources with
qualitative methods such as usability testing.
Done By
Name: S.Ragavendran_15MBA1048
Name: S.Bhaargav_15MBA1020
