Thinking, Fast and Slow · chapter 7 · id thinking-fast-and-slow-c7-03-the-halo-effect-causes-people-

“The halo effect causes people to form global impressions that color all subsequent judgments about a person -- if you like one trait, you rate all traits more favorably.”

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Thorndike (1920), Journal of Applied Psychology 4(1)DOI registry: valid

Military officers' ratings of soldiers showed excessive correlation across traits (physique, intelligence, leadership, character). Officers who rated a soldier highly on one trait rated them highly on all. Thorndike coined the term 'halo effect.'

Nisbett & Wilson (1977), JPSP 35(4)DOI registry: valid

Students who saw a warm professor rated his accent, appearance, and mannerisms as appealing; those who saw the cold version rated the same characteristics as irritating. Participants denied that likeability influenced their ratings.

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