Wiktionary
n. A cognitive bias in which judgment of somebody's character is influenced by an overall impression of him or her.
Wikipedia
The halo effect is a cognitive bias in which an observer's overall impression of a person, company, brand, or product influences the observer's feelings and thoughts about that entity's character or properties. It was named by psychologist Edward Thorndike in reference to a person being perceived as having a halo. Subsequent researchers have studied it in relation to attractiveness and its bearing on the judicial and educational systems. The halo effect is a specific type of confirmation bias, wherein positive feelings in one area cause ambiguous or neutral traits to be viewed positively. Edward Thorndike originally coined the term referring only to people; however, its use has been greatly expanded especially in the area of brand marketing.
The term "halo" is used in analogy with the religious concept: a glowing circle that can be seen floating about the heads of saints in countless medieval and Renaissance paintings. The saint's face seems bathed in heavenly light from his or her halo. Thus, by seeing that somebody was painted with a halo, the observer can tell that this must have been a good and worthy person. In other words, the observer is transferring their judgment from one easily observed characteristic of the person (painted with a halo) to a judgment of that person's character.
The halo effect works in both positive and negative directions (the horns effect): If the observer likes one aspect of something, they will have a positive predisposition toward everything about it. If the observer dislikes one aspect of something, they will have a negative predisposition toward everything about it.
A halo effect is a cognitive bias.
Halo Effect could refer to:
- The Halo Effect (business book), a 2007 book by Phil Rosenzweig
- The Halo Effect (film), a 2004 Irish film starring Mick Lally
- "Halo Effect", the sixth track on Canadian rock trio Rush's 2012 album, Clockwork Angels
Usage examples of "halo effect".
The 'bioenergetic halo effect' that we monitored for you earlier on your tour seems to be a side effect of the life-energies rather than part of their primary manifestation.
The halo effect didn't happen that often in the wintertime, and anyway, these men weren't being knighted.
Two of them were barechested, and she could see their bronze skin glistening in a halo effect created by the morning sun at their backs.
The emergency lights caught his white hair, creating a halo effect.
You know how that works we're bound to get a few patients saying yes, just because of the halo effect.
His reddish-blonde curls were even springier than the last time I'd seen him and the halo effect was even more striking.
This time, the cross-sectional halo effect of the mindenhancing equipment was reduced to an indistinct shimmer and his body, suspended in midair, seemed completely material.
He looked up, and I realized the gold glow was a halo effect of the rising sun.