In psychology, the halo effect is a cognitive bias in which the perception we have of a person is influenced by a series of traits. For example, we think that a nice and beautiful person will also be intelligent and good. Thus, the halo effect consists of making a global judgment based on a first impression.
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What is the halo effect?
The halo effect was identified by Edward L. Thorndike in the 20th century , when he was conducting several studies on psychological evaluations in the military. He realized that the perception of a single trait affects all the others , thus influencing the final judgment. That is, it is about judging a person based on a first impression , be it from their appearance, behavior, etc.
The phenomenon of the halo effect has not only been studied in psychology, but in recent times it has also emerged in the business sector , especially in Human Resources or to create marketing strategies. But, the fact is that this mental process occurs at any time, be it at work, when we meet someone, in a store, etc. It influences our judgment without realizing it and on a daily basis.
Can the halo effect be avoided?
The halo effect is part of our brain, since it results in an interpretation of information from the environment . And although at first glance it seems inevitable, we can become aware of it and reverse it.
It is only necessary to reflect a little and not stay with the first impression . Go further and find out who is really behind that appearance. Thus, it is very important to avoid hasty judgments based solely on external impressions.
How is the halo effect produced?
The halo effect consists of attributing presumed characteristics based on those already observed . It is about how an impression (positive or negative) that one has about someone or something, conditions the general opinion. For example, we see a person that we are physically attracted to, so we think that she is beautiful. In addition, we also think that she is a good person and that she will surely occupy a high position in a company.
The halo effect is usually an error in judgment when making impressions, which turn out to be very powerful and nullify the rational capacity of judgment. This happens because we have the need to classify reality in an orderly way.
Thus, the halo effect is about an unconscious process of unconscious evaluation of another person, causing people to judge everything in a totally subjective way, since doing so objectively requires a conscious effort.