The Halo Effect

Halo-1. The circle of light with which the head is surrounded in representations of Christ and the saints; a nimbus.

2. The ideal glory with which a person or thing is invested when viewed under the influence of feeling or sentiment.

3. A more or less circular bright or dark area formed in various photographic processes.

Halo Effect-psychol., the favorable bias in interviews, intelligence tests and the like generated by an atmosphere of approbation. A common error in rating intelligence tests is known as the “halo effect.” If an individual creates a favorable impression by his excellence in one trait, you are apt to rate him near the top in every trait.