PSY 530 Final Project Milestone Two: Similarities and Differences Table Learning AidYour Classic Study: ___________________________________________________________________
Your More Recent Study: ______________________________________________________________
Classic and Modern
Study Questions
Citation for studies in
APA style
What is the research
question or
hypothesis in this
study?
Name two studies
referenced in this
article that greatly
contributed to the
main theme of this
article.
What type of
research method was
used in this study?
Correlation?
Experiment?
Were the measures
used in your study
reliable and valid?
Explain.
What were the main
results/conclusions in
this study?
Did this study have
ethical problems? If
so, name them.
Responses for Classic
Study
Responses for Modern
Study
Similarities and
Differences Between
Your Two Responses
How does this
research help
improve people’s
social wellbeing/social welfare?
What influence did
this study have on
the everyday lives of
people in society?
How has this study
changed the way you
view the world? Did
this study affect you
personally?
Notes and Further Discussion:
THE HALO EFFECT
1
The Halo Effect
Sweeden Simpson-Peters
Southern New Hampshire University
Psy 530 Social Psychology
Dr. Samina Salahuddin
May 7, 2023
THE HALO EFFECT
2
The Halo Effect
Literature review
The topic of choice is “The Halo Effect,” know as a cognitive bias where a lot of
individuals judge or form a judgment of others on their preconceptions of prejudices towards
them. Owing to these notations, it there will always be inaccurate assessments of the person’s
ability, as well as their character. In Nisbett’s review, several studies provide evidence for the
halo effect (Nisbett & Wilson, 1977). Let’s look at an example, one of the studies showed that a
defendant who may have committed a crime be judged and found guilty if they were told that the
individual had a criminal pass, even when the facts were not the same.
Hypothesis
The Halo Effect is another individual’s perception of others that is preconceived and bias.
When people have positive preconceptions about someone, they often see others in a positive
way, and when they have negative preconceptions about others, they tend to see other people in a
negative way. The halo effect often leads us to make inaccurate judgments and cast judgment in
our decisions.
Methodology
The method that was discussed in the study was that of “the halo effect,” where
individuals have this behavior in where they judge each other based off their experiences and or
beliefs. Data were obtained from each participant using a questionnaire and then analyzed using
statistical methods.
Results
The perception that we have of individuals, certain situations, object is seen as the “Halo
Effect,” and this occurs when our judgment becomes affected. Inaccurate judgment and changed
THE HALO EFFECT
3
memories cause everyone to be bias towards each other. In Nisbett’s study, it describes the Halo
Effect and how it affects the choices and decisions that is often made. One of the studies showed
how the participants viewed and later rated an individual’s picture on the various characteristics.
Some of the participants would rate and individual by their intelligence, looks, success and their
likeability at a higher rate. Sometimes, you would find that they would read the profile in the
study before rating the characteristics of that individual. Thus, out of this the reader with a
positive description would often rank higher in the other person’s eyes.
Conclusion
Nisbett’s research concluded that the Halo Effect can be a cognitive bias that causes
others to be very judgmental of an individual all due to their beliefs and personal preferences.
However, due to this perception, unfair and inaccurate assessments can occur which can
eventually become and be perceived as discriminatory.
Literature review
In the article “How does the mind work?” Tell how it works and what it does with the
information it gets. The authors conclude that our minds work by evaluating our surroundings
and then processing what we observe by making decisions based on the information we gather.
Hypothesis
In this article, the debate centers on how the brain is constantly trying to predict the
future based on past experiences. These predictions allow us to anticipate these events and plan
accordingly. In the article it will go on to argue with the predictive attitude it enables the
individual’s mind to decide and try to understand the world.
Methodology
THE HALO EFFECT
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While the authors use a variety of investigative methods to study how the mind works,
they also collect data, conduct observations, conduct interviews, and conduct surveys to
understand what others think. Research on the human mind and the way in which information
was processed. In doing so, they learn how their individual minds work.
Results
Burger and Cooper conducted their research suggesting that the brain processes and
makes decisions based on the information it receives. The individual’s mind was active even
when the person was not consciously aware of this, and it continually tried to make sense of the
world and what was going on around us (Burger & Cooper, 2016). Past experiences as well as
learning new things that help us grow are also what our minds do and allow us to make good
decisions.
Conclusion
This article teaches us how an individual’s mind works and the research we can do to guide and
give us a better understanding of this process. Great research helps us understand how our minds
work, but also tells us that we cannot and cannot always predict how our minds will respond to
situations around us.
THE HALO EFFECT
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References
Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977). The halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of
judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35(4), 250-256.
Burger, D. D., & Cooper, J. (2016). How does the mind work? New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
Sanrey, C., Bressoux, P., Lima, L., & Pansu, P. (2021). A new method for studying the halo
effect.
in teachers’ judgement and its antecedents: Bringing out the role of certainty.
British journal of educational psychology, 91(2), 658-675.