EXPECTATIONS AND THE HALO

EFFECT

Expectations

An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future

Expectations can often be unrealistic and can lead to disappointment

Different people can have different expectations about the same event, for example at an ice hockey match some supporters might expect Timrå to win the game whereas others would expect MODO to win

Where Do Expectations Come From? Our past experiences

Media

Society

Family

Nannie Doss

Serial Killer responsible for the deaths of eleven people between the 1920s and 1954

It was revealed that she had killed four husbands, two children, two sisters, her mother, a grandson and a nephew

John Ausonius

Swedish convicted murderer, bank robber and attempted serial killer

From August 1991 to January 1992 he shot eleven people in the Stockholm and Upsalla area, killing one person and seriously injuring the others

Susan Boyle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jca_p_3FcWA&feature=related

The Halo Effect

The Halo effect is where the perception of one trait influences the perception of other traits in a person or object

For example judging an attractive person as kinder and more intelligent

Or a brand as more appealing due to one popular product

The Reverse Halo Effect

This is where individuals, brands etc are judged to be undesirable as a result of a single undesirable trait

For example judging a less attractive person as less intelligent and less talented

E.g. Susan Boyle

Nisbett and Wilson (1977) Likeability of Lecturers

They wanted to examine the way students made judgements about a lecturer

Two groups of students watched a video of a lecturer with a strong Belgian accent answer a series of questions in a warm friendly manner vs a cold distant manner. They were then asked to rate the lecturer on his accent, attractiveness and mannerisms

Consistent with the Halo Effect, students who saw the warm incarnation of the lecturer rated him more attractive, his mannerisms more likeable and his accent more appealing

Dion et al (1972) What is Beautiful is Good

Participants presented with photographs of individuals which had been separately rated for attractiveness

They were asked to predict whether these individuals would live happy or fulfilling lives by the likelihood that they would experience a variety of life experiences (such as becoming divorced)

Consistent with the halo effect, the more attractive individuals were more frequently judged to have more positive personality traits and more likely to experience positive life events

The Task for Today

Produce a representation of the halo effect

For Example: Design an experiment which shows the halo effect Describe or produce a representation of your own experience

of the halo effect Write a newspaper article Create a video which shows the halo effect in action Carry out a role play of the halo effect How does the halo effect influence wider issues e.g racism,

marketing (apple), employment, job interviews or first impressions

A biography of a famous person e.g. Michael Jackson