Halo Effect

As I continue to think about the impact of first impressions, I feel led to describe something researchers call, “The Halo Effect.” No, it doesn’t refer to a Microsoft video game. The Halo Effect is a term used to describe the fact that people tend to judge us based on their past impressions of us. For example, if we make a really good first impression, subsequent behavior will tend to be interpreted favorably. If, on the other hand, we make a bad first impression, people will tend to judge our subsequent behaviors in a negative light.

Let me give an example. My wife uses our DVR to record the daytime series, “General Hospital,” so that she can watch it in the evening. I have joined her to watch a few episodes myself. (Pure intellectual investigation, I might add!  ) In one episode, a female character named Maxie said and did some kind and caring things. I said, “Hey! I like this Maxie character!” My wife was horrified. “Maxie is evil. She’s just in it for herself,” she corrected me. My wife was applying the halo effect. Maxie’s in-the-moment actions were genuinely good, but my wife’s previous observations of her behavior colored everything dark. Maxie was wearing a dark halo.

This example isn’t real, but it is true to life in that people make those same kinds of judgements all the time. This is one of the reasons that making a good first impression is so important. A bad first impression isn’t a death sentence, but it can be quite a laborious task to overcome.

Mom was right!

It’s always good to put a plug in for Mom. What is the stereotypical trio our mothers are usually credited with saying? “Sit up straight, keep your elbows off the table, and watch your language!” In the realm of first impressions, Mom was right! Let’s take them one at a time.

“Sit up straight!”

It may not be fair, but the truth is that people judge us on appearances.  Good posture, clean clothes, and pleasant facial expressions all contribute significantly to the way other people perceive us. Several months ago, my teenage daughter was applying for a job at a shoe store. As she wrapped up the interview, a young man walked into the store and announced that he, too, was there to apply. He was disheveled in appearance and leaned on everything – kind of draping himself on the counter as he spoke. Who do you think got the job?

“Keep your elbows off the table!”

Mom thought that sitting with your elbows on the table was rude. Perceptions of us are deeply affected by whether we approach others with polite manners and respect. This is especially important as we cross national and cultural borders where we might unwittingly offend those we speak to. Several years ago, my phone company kept screwing something up. In a fit of anger I called their toll-free support line and just about yelled into the phone, “This is the 12th time I’ve called and you still screwed this up! I’m so mad I could spit!” The gentleman on the other end of the phone said, “I’ll take care of you sir. Please hold.” I sat on hold for 15 minutes before I realized what he had done. I was out of line and he had truly “taken care of” me. I learned my lesson and have found telephone support folks to be much more cooperative when I am polite and respectful.

“Watch your language!”

Vulgar language is to be avoided, but I think this goes even deeper for our daily communications. Are you using language appropriate for your audience? Does everyone know the jargon and the acronyms? Not long ago, in a conversation with my Cable supplier, the fellow on the phone kept wanting to talk about a “multi-platform content delivery system.” I just wanted clear reception! It is important that we match the words we use to those who will be listening.

Thanks, Mom!

First Impressions

First impressions are an important part of being an effective speaker and communicator. The problem is that we don’t have much time to make those first impressions! Have you even been listening to a talk and, after just a few minutes, realized that you had made a big mistake? If so, you have experience evaluating speakers using very little information and in a very brief period of time.

In an article published in the May 29, 2000 edition of The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell told the story of Harvard researcher Nalini Ambady. Using videotapes of teaching fellows that had been taken during a training program at Harvard, Ambady set out to examine the non-verbal aspects of teaching. Her plan was to have outside observers look at the tapes with the sound off and rate the effectiveness of the teachers using expressions and visual cues. When she looked at the tapes, she discovered that there was only about 10 seconds of footage where the teachers were shown without students in the picture. Ambady was afraid that the presence of students might bias the opinions of the observers. She almost abandoned the project, assuming that no observer could effectively evaluate using only 10 seconds of footage. Encouraged by her advisor, though, Ambady went ahead with the experiment.

Surprise! When presented with 10-second video clips, observers had no trouble rating the teachers on a 15-item checklist of personality traits. Next, Ambady cut the clips back to 5 seconds. The results were the same. They were even the same when she showed observers just 2 seconds of video. 2 seconds!

Here’s another surprise: When Ambady compared the results of these brief, video-only evaluations with those delivered by students that had spent an entire semester with those same teachers, the correlation between the results was extremely high. Not only do we make up our minds in a hurry, but we’re actually pretty good at it!

The bottom line for you and me: The research on how long it takes to form a first impression varies somewhat, but it’s clear that some in cases our listeners will be making up their minds about us before we even speak!