Halo Effect Bias

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Halo Effect https://www.draughtlab.com/Blog/Bias_HaloEffect

The Halo Effect The Dictionary of Nursing and Research defines the Halo Effect as “the name given to the phenomenon whereby evaluators tend to be influenced by their previous judgments of performance or personality” . The Halo Effect Bias is a cognitive bias where a person's overall impression of a person, company, brand or product is influenced by a single positive trait. It is often observed in the way people perceive others, particularly in the way they evaluate their intelligence, kindness or other personal characteristics. For example, if a person is deemed physically attractive, they may also be perceived as intelligent, kind, or trustworthy, even if there is no evidence to support this perception. This bias can also extend to companies, brands and products. For example, if a company is known for its high-quality products, it may also be perceived as having a strong commitment to ethical practices and social responsibility, even if this perception is not seen by the company's actions. The Halo Effect Bias can have a significant impact on decision-making and can lead to inaccurate judgments and evaluations of both people and products.

Repercussions

Personal

The Halo Effect can have significant repercussions on the perception of traits such as likability. In psychology, first impressions are often shaped by the context during which they are formed. Many factors, such as behavior, appearance, and personal attitudes, can impact the establishment of these perceptions. A 2016 study examined the effect of positive norm violations, or any action against the norm, on women's perceptions of male facial attractiveness. The experiment involved two male faces with similar features that were paired with two scenarios of positive norm violation, both low intensity and high intensity, and rated them on personality characteristics. The study involved 178 female college students. The results showed that the attractive male face and the low violation condition received the most favorable ratings, and that there was a significant interaction effect between the two variables was also observed, meaning that the perceived attractiveness of a man’s face is directly affected by their behavior. . Additionally, a 2003 study found that a women's perceived success in life is dependent on her body type and physical attractiveness. . The study identified perceived attractive physical traits in women, and tested whether those women who possessed physically attractive traits would achieve higher success, and found that their results were consistent with this prediction.

Political

The Halo Effect Bias can be observed in the political sphere, particularly with regards to the evaluation of officeholders and their accomplishments. A study by The New York Times found that officeholders who create a "living legacy" benefit from a halo effect, where their overall accomplishments are subsequently evaluated in a more positive light . This can be seen in the way that voters view candidates for political office. Research has shown that physical attractiveness, as well as familiarity, can lead to bias in judgment and can be strong predictors of decisions regarding who is put in a position of leadership. A 2010 study found that judgments made after a one-second exposures to side-by-side photos of two US congressional candidates were reasonably predictive of election outcomes . Similar studies have found that even when taking facts into account, candidates who were rated as more attractive were still perceived as more knowledgeable. Therefore, beauty evaluations also emerge as major predictors of electoral success due to the repercussions of the Halo Effect. The study revealed that spontaneous assessments of attractiveness and familiarity occur before attributions of competence, thus having a downstream effect on perceptions of competence.

Academic

The Halo Effect Bias can also have an impact on judgments of intelligence and competence in academic settings. A study by Landy and Sigall looked at how male judgments of female intelligence and competence were impacted by the Halo Effect . The study had 60 male undergraduate students who rated the quality of essays that included both well-written and poorly-written samples. One third of the participants were presented with a photo of an attractive female as the author, another third with a photo of an unattractive female as the author, and the last third were shown no photo. The results showed that participants on average gave significantly better evaluations for the more attractive author. Another study, conducted by Moore, Filippou and Perrett aimed to investigate other cues to intelligence in faces while controlling for the Halo Effect The study used photographs of college students, and participants were asked to rate the photographs on their intelligence and attractiveness. The results showed that, while intelligence did not seem to be a factor that contributes to attractiveness in women, in men, attractive faces were perceived to be more intelligent, friendly, and funny. In another case, a college professor who spoke English with a European accent taught two groups of 118 students. To one group, he was cold and distant. To the other, he was warm and friendly. Students who met with the professor when he was warm and friendly evaluated his accent as appealing, while those who met with the professor when he was cold and distant evaluated his accent as irritating . Another study evaluated the accuracy of elementary school teacher's ratings and whether they are influenced by halo effects. Each teacher viewed videos of fourth-grade 'students' reading from scripts that were indicative of ADHD behavior, and rated their behavior afterwards. Their findings supported the theory that the teachers generally held a bias that influenced them to inflate ratings for students who showed symptoms of oppositional descent disorder (ODD). In this case, the perceived possession of ODD influenced the perceived possession of other traits.

Judicial

The repercussions of the Halo Effect can be observed in the judicial sphere. In an attempt to decipher the correlation between attractiveness levels of criminals and sentencing outcomes, A. Chris Downs and Phillip M. Lyons conducted a study employing natural observation in the justice system. Downs and Lyons sought to test the “Halo Effect,” which references a common tendency to assume that physically attractive people possess other socially desirable personality traits; a perception of “goodness” may contribute to other judgments, whether logical or not. Noticing the societal bias towards attractive people being demonstrated in areas such as teacher judgment of students, voter preferences for political candidates, and likability of characters in films, Downs and Lyons sought to test whether this bias extended to the justice system. They hypothesized that perpetrators of both misdemeanors and felonies deemed as “attractive” would receive lower sentences than those deemed “unattractive.” Researchers conducted two similar studies to test the attractiveness bias: the first study observed the sentencing of perpetrators of misdemeanors, and the second observed perpetrators of felonies. Misdemeanor were separated into 3 classes, depending on the severity of the crime. In both studies, a group of police officers and students rated the defendants on a scale of 1-5 based on their objective attractiveness. The sentencing of 915 female and 1,320 male defendants was studied. The defendants were unable to alter their physical appearance before presentation to their judges. In the first study, involving misdemeanors, Downs and Lyons found that judges fined attractive criminals significantly less than attractive criminals. For minor misdemeanors, unattractive criminals received 224.87% higher fines than attractive criminals. For moderate misdemeanors, unattractive criminals received 304.88% higher fines than attractive criminals. For serious misdemeanors, unattractive criminals received 174.78% higher fines than attractive criminals. As the attractiveness of the defendant decreased, the fine incrementally increased. Therefore, the hypothesized legal attractiveness bias was supported in the study of perpetrators of misdemeanors. In the second study, involving felonies, Downs and Lyons found no significant correlation between sentencing, fines, and the attractiveness of the criminal.

Career

In the business world, the Halo Effect can lead managers to make judgments about employees, products, or organizations based on a single, positive characteristic, such as high sales or impressive credentials. This can result in inaccurate assessments and poor decision-making.

Media

The rise of influencer culture on social media has had a significant impact on how people perceive and form opinions on various topics, including politics. This can be seen through the increasing number of social media influencers who are using their platform to voice their opinions on political issues. Social media influencers are individuals who have gained fame or popularity through their online presence, often through platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. They often have a specific niche or area of expertise that they focus on, such as fashion, beauty, or fitness. Many influencers have built large followings because they possess certain traits that others find interesting or appealing, such as physical attractiveness, humor, or intelligence. Because of their large following, social media influencers have the ability to reach thousands of people with their views on various topics, including politics. This has led to a growing concern that influencers can shape public opinion and influence political decisions. For example, an influencer with a large following may post about a political issue, and because their followers trust and respect their opinion, they may be more likely to adopt the same views. This can be a powerful tool for shaping public opinion and influencing political decisions, especially among young people who are more likely to be active on social media and to follow influencers. Studies have shown that social media influencers can in fact shape public opinion and influence political decisions. For example, research conducted by the Pew Research Center found that young people are more likely to get their news from social media and are more likely to trust information that comes from people they follow on these platforms. This means that if an influencer with a large following posts about a political issue, their followers are more likely to be influenced by their opinion, especially if they see the influencer as trustworthy or knowledgeable. Another study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania found that social media influencers can have a significant impact on the political views and behaviors of their followers. The study found that young people who followed influencers who were politically active on social media were more likely to be engaged in politics and to hold more politically progressive views. Social media influencers can raise awareness about important political issues and inspire people to get involved in the political process. On the other hand, they can spread misinformation and influence people to hold biased or uninformed opinions.

Gender Differences

The Halo Effect can look different in different areas of life, but also throughout genders. Robert M Kaplan found that the halo effect of attractiveness had a greater impact on women when evaluating members of the opposite sex. Marshall Dermer and Darrel Thiel extended this research and showed that jealousy of an attractive person had a slight impact on their evaluation. Further studies have indicated that these halo effects are more prominent among women than men. In 2011, Moore, Filippou, and Perrett conducted research that controlled for the influence of attractiveness in composite photographs of women, while still revealing the presence of the halo effect in high-intelligence composite photographs of men, as evaluated by heterosexual residents of the UK. These findings suggest that the halo effect can be diminished by feelings of jealousy in women or when women evaluate individuals of the same sex, or it can be controlled for in female evaluations.

Ethical Implications

Classification systems can shape one’s understanding of the world and reinforce power dynamics. By creating categories and boundaries, classification systems can impact the perceptions of individuals and groups, leading to the reinforcement of stereotypes and biases. Classification systems are not neutral, but rather, are embedded with power dynamics and can reinforce dominant power structures. The Halo Effect bias can be seen as a instance of a classification systems that influences people's perceptions and actions. “Each standard and each category valorizes some point of view and silences another”. The innate classification created by the Halo Bias may create spheres of influence for those who possess certain traits, and since the voices of those who do not. Without acknowledge and actively working against this bias, unfit people could end up with political power, high academic accomplishments, less jail time, social influence, and much more. In 1995, the article "Implicit Social Cognition: Attitudes, Self-esteem, and Stereotypes" was published in the Psychological Review. The authors, Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, introduce the concept of implicit social cognition and its effects on human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Implicit social cognition refers to unconscious attitudes, self-esteem, and stereotypes influenced by cultural and social contexts. The authors state that these biases can operate outside of conscious awareness and have a significant impact on human judgments and actions. The authors also examine the implications of implicit social cognition for social psychology research, including its influence on human attitudes and behavior towards different people, groups, and issues. Evidence is provided for the presence of implicit biases and their persistence even with conscious efforts to control them. This article has been considered a major contribution to the field of social psychology and has expanded the understanding of implicit biases and their effects. It is important to note that implicit biases can have ethical implications, as they can affect the fairness and impartiality of decisions made in various settings, including the workplace, legal systems, and healthcare.

Avoiding the Halo Effect

There are several strategies that can help reduce the influence of the Halo Effect and improve the accuracy of judgments and decisions. One approach option is to gather information from multiple sources and consider alternative perspectives. Incorporating multiple sources of information can reduce the influence of the Halo Effect and lead to more accurate assessments . Another approach is to use structured decision-making procedures that are based on objective criteria and minimize the impact of personal biases. This has been shown to be effective in various contexts, including personnel selection. Another strategy is to engage in self-reflection and be aware of one's own biases. This can be done through mindfulness practices, such as self-reflection and regular check-ins, as well as training programs that help individuals recognize and counteract their own biases<ref.A. G. Greenwald & M. R. Banaji, 1995</ref>. By implementing these strategies, individuals and organizations can reduce the impact of the Halo Effect and improve the accuracy of their judgments and decisions. In the business world, in order to avoid the Halo Effect, Philip M. Rosenzweig, author of "The Halo Effect and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers," suggests that managers should be aware of their own biases and make an effort to consider a wide range of information when making decisions. This can include gathering data from multiple sources, seeking out alternative perspectives, and engaging in self-reflection. Additionally, organizations can implement strategies to reduce the impact of cognitive biases, such as establishing objective criteria for decision-making and encouraging open communication and collaboration among employees. By being aware of and actively avoiding the Halo Effect, managers can make more informed and accurate decisions in their organizations.