Health psychology/Cognitive biases · Social cognitionlow yield

Halo effect

What it means

Allowing one positive (or negative) trait to colour the whole impression of a person, generalising from a single attribute.

Worked example

Assuming an articulate, well-dressed patient must also be reliable and adherent.

In the exam

A doctor assumes a well-spoken, smartly dressed patient must also be honest and compliant, and relaxes his scrutiny as a result.

What settles it

The halo effect generalises from ONE trait of the person to the whole. The framing effect is led by how information is PRESENTED to you, not by an attribute of the person.

Classically confused with

Framing effect

Source: Thorndike; Nisbett & Wilson