Difference between revisions of "Halo Effect Bias"
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| − | The Halo Effect Bias can also impact on judgments of intelligence and competence. A study by Landy and Sigall looked at how male judgments of female intelligence and competence were impacted by the Halo Effect <ref>Landy, David; Sigall, Harold (1974). "Beauty is talent: Task evaluation as a function of the performer's physical attractiveness". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 29 (3): 299–304. doi:10.1037/h0036018. </ref>. 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 <ref>Moore, F. R.; Filippou, D.; Perrett, D. I. (September 2011). "Intelligence and attractiveness in the face: Beyond the attractiveness halo effect". Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 9 (3): 205–217. doi:10.1556/jep.9.2011.3.2. Downs, A. C., & Lyons, P. M. (1991). Natural Observations of the Links between Attractiveness and Initial Legal Judgments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17(5), 541–547. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167291175009.</ref> 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. | + | The Halo Effect Bias can also impact on judgments of intelligence and competence. A study by Landy and Sigall looked at how male judgments of female intelligence and competence were impacted by the Halo Effect <ref>Landy, David; Sigall, Harold (1974). "Beauty is talent: Task evaluation as a function of the performer's physical attractiveness". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 29 (3): 299–304. doi:10.1037/h0036018. </ref>. 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 <ref>Moore, F. R.; Filippou, D.; Perrett, D. I. (September 2011). "Intelligence and attractiveness in the face: Beyond the attractiveness halo effect". Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 9 (3): 205–217. doi:10.1556/jep.9.2011.3.2. Downs, A. C., & Lyons, P. M. (1991). Natural Observations of the Links between Attractiveness and Initial Legal Judgments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17(5), 541–547. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167291175009.</ref> 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 <ref> Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). The halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(4), 250–256. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.35.4.250 </ref>. |
===Judicial=== | ===Judicial=== | ||
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As influencer culture becomes increasingly prominent on social media, many users are exposed to, and value, the opinions of those with large followings. 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 their platforms based on 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. | As influencer culture becomes increasingly prominent on social media, many users are exposed to, and value, the opinions of those with large followings. 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 their platforms based on 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. | ||
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===Ethical Implications=== | ===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.<ref>Bowker, Geoffrey C., and Susan Leigh Star. Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences. MIT Press, 2000.</ref> 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”<ref>Bowker, Geoffrey C., and Susan Leigh Star. Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences. MIT Press, 2000.</ref>. 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. | ||
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==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 03:08, 11 February 2023
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” [1]. 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 supported 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.
Contents
Repercussions
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 [2]. 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 following one-second exposures to side-by-side photos of two US congressional candidates were reasonably predictive of election outcomes [3]. 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.
Academic
The Halo Effect Bias can also impact on judgments of intelligence and competence. A study by Landy and Sigall looked at how male judgments of female intelligence and competence were impacted by the Halo Effect [4]. 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 [5] 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 [6].
Judicial
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.
Media
As influencer culture becomes increasingly prominent on social media, many users are exposed to, and value, the opinions of those with large followings. 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 their platforms based on 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.
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.[7] 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”[8]. 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.
Notes
- ↑ Bethel, Ann; Knapp, T (2010). "Halo Effect". Dictionary of Nursing and Research. 4th – via Credo Reference.
- ↑ “Halo Effect”. The New York Times. January 30, 1982.
- ↑ Verhulst, Brad; Lodge, Milton; Lavine, Howard (June 2010). "The Attractiveness Halo: Why Some Candidates are Perceived More Favorably than Others". Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 34 (2): 111–117.
- ↑ Landy, David; Sigall, Harold (1974). "Beauty is talent: Task evaluation as a function of the performer's physical attractiveness". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 29 (3): 299–304. doi:10.1037/h0036018.
- ↑ Moore, F. R.; Filippou, D.; Perrett, D. I. (September 2011). "Intelligence and attractiveness in the face: Beyond the attractiveness halo effect". Journal of Evolutionary Psychology. 9 (3): 205–217. doi:10.1556/jep.9.2011.3.2. Downs, A. C., & Lyons, P. M. (1991). Natural Observations of the Links between Attractiveness and Initial Legal Judgments. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17(5), 541–547. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167291175009.
- ↑ Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). The halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(4), 250–256. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.35.4.250
- ↑ Bowker, Geoffrey C., and Susan Leigh Star. Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences. MIT Press, 2000.
- ↑ Bowker, Geoffrey C., and Susan Leigh Star. Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences. MIT Press, 2000.
