Halo effects and advantages of attractive people

Hallo Effect (Halo effect) is a cognitive bias (Cognitive bias) that implies the overall impression of a person influencing how we feel and think about their character.

Basically, your general impression of a person (for example, "he is beautiful" ) will affect your assessments of that person's specific characteristics (for example, "he is smart" ). .

A typical example of Halo effect in practice is our general impression of celebrities. Because we admit that they are attractive, successful and everyone likes, we tend to judge that they are smart, kind and funny.

See more articles about psychological bias:

1. 5 cognitive biases prevent you from making the right decision
2. 4 prejudices are common among start-up groups
3. 4 psychological biases that marketers need to care about

The definitions of Halo effects

"Known as a prejudice about physical attractiveness and the principle of" what is good is good, "the Halo effect - at the most specific level implies a habitual tendency of humanity. In assessing individuals possessing attractive looks, there will be more good points about characteristics or personality than ordinary people, this effect is also used in more common situations when wanting tissue. describe the general impact of a favorite personality or some specific characteristics that everyone aspires to have in creating false judgments about a person when viewed in a certain way. Usually, awareness has overwhelmed emotions when evaluating others " (SAGE encyclopedia methods of social science research, volume 1, published in 2004).

Edward Thorndike, a psychologist, first proposed the term in an article published in 1920 under the title "The Constant Error in Psychological Ratings". psychological face). Accordingly, Thorndike evidenced by an experiment which involved military personnel and he asked them to evaluate a variety of subordinates' qualities, including physical, leadership and , intelligence, level of loyalty and trust.

Thorndike's goal is to determine how assessments of a quality will impact assessments of other qualities. The results gave him a conclusion that the appreciation of a particular quality correlates with the appreciation of other qualities, while the negative reviews on a particular trait are also leads to negative comments about other personalities.

Advantage of attraction

So why can the overall impression of a person create an effect that affects the way we value specific qualities about them? According to many researchers, attractiveness is a key factor. Specifically, when we value beautiful people, we also tend to believe that they possess very good character traits and seem to be smarter.

Even another study suggests that panel members rarely believe that attractive people do not comply with the law and commit crimes.

However, prejudice about attraction is also a "double-sided blade". Because according to some studies, although people are more likely to give people an attractive set of positive traits, they also tend to believe that those with good looks are self-conceited, arrogant, no Be honest and use your attraction to take advantage of others.

In the classroom, teachers are susceptible to the halo effect in assessing students. For example, if you see an obedient student, they also tend to assume that the child is bright, smart, diligent before having an objective assessment of practical learning ability. Obviously, this can lead to false judgments about scores.

Not only that, the halo effect also affects the way students evaluate teachers. In an investigation, the researchers found that when the instructor was thought to be warm and friendly, the students naturally assumed that the teacher was attractive, appealing and easier to get closer to.

With well-known brands, the Halo effect gives them a huge competitive advantage when entering new markets. For example, the fast food market will not have a fever if there is no shadow of McDonald's though then, KFC, Lotteria are also rivals that cannot be taken lightly. It can be said that this effect is a consequence of an investment process to build a brand image in a methodical way and it is also a reward for those who have vision and soon realize the great value of the brand. sign.

From journalists, writers, advertisers to job applicants, from top to bottom, the halo effect has certain meanings. If you are a well-known journalist, the chances of your articles being posted soon, even on the front page are very high. If you are a candidate with a bright and attractive appearance, the chances of an employer are great.

Knowing how to take advantage of the halo effect is a good thing, but don't overdo it because you will easily have outspoken assessments about a person. At the same time, do not try to build a glamorous, attractive appearance, then lose or ignore your true self.

See more:

1. Train these 10 habits, you will become more attractive in the eyes of others
2. Doing these 9 things in your first meeting with someone, they won't be able to forget you
3. This is why you become less attractive in the eyes of others