Halo Effect

The halo effect is a cognitive bias that causes us to have a positive impression of a person or company if we have a positive impression of one feature of that person or company.

For example, we tend to assume that an attractive person is also kind, intelligent, trustworthy, and friendly. Similarly, when we really like a company’s most famous product, we tend to believe that its other products must also be superior.

Because the halo effect often leads to unfair treatment, it has moral implications. One study found that an applicants’ good grooming had more to do with who was hired for the job than the applicants’ qualifications did. Likewise, the halo effect may cause an employer to unfairly promote an attractive employee who is less productive over a less attractive employee who is more productive.

Because of the halo effect, if we think well of a person, we may excuse them when they act immorally. Because we like them, we assume that the ethical misstep must have been accidental.

The halo effect has a flipside, known as the “horn” (of the devil) effect. This bias causes us to overgeneralize negative features of a person or company based on a single negative trait or impression.

The halo effect and the horn effect, like all biases, are subconscious and difficult to neutralize. But being aware of these two biases – and their impact on our judgment – can help us protect our integrity and make better decisions.