The Halo Effect
How a single positive trait — attractiveness, charisma, success in one domain — creates a glow that biases our judgment of everything else about a person.
When One Trait Colors Everything
The halo effect, first described by psychologist Edward Thorndike in 1920, is the tendency for a positive impression in one area to influence judgment in unrelated areas. An attractive person is assumed to be more intelligent, competent, and trustworthy. A successful CEO is assumed to be wise about politics, health, and education. A prestigious university is assumed to be excellent at everything it does.
The effect is powerful and pervasive. Studies consistently show that attractive defendants receive lighter sentences, that taller candidates win more elections, and that companies with high stock prices are rated as having better management, better strategy, and better products — ratings that often reverse when the stock price falls, even though the company's management has not changed.