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Companion poem Appearance by Willis Martyn

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Companion poem Appearance by Willis Martyn

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We place much on appearance.
Less on what it conceals.

Does a beautiful face
In equal measure
A heart reveal?

And those with beautiful hearts,
Encased within life’s
Less that idyllic form.

To know them,
Is true to say,

A gift without cheap wrapping.
A no lesser
Gift indeed!

By appearance and a shallow wanting
We so easily,
Can be,
Deceived.

-Willis Martyn

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Do Your Assumptions Affect How You Treat People? | Reverse Assumptions

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Dig a Little Deeper (From "The Princess and the Frog")

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What We Decide About People Based on Their Appearance

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... and why our judgments are often wrong.

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The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character. Essentially, your overall impression of a person ("He is nice!") impacts your evaluations of that person's specific traits ("He is also smart!"). Perceptions of a single trait can carry over to how people perceive other aspects of that person.

One great example of the halo effect in action is our overall impression of celebrities. People perceive them as attractive, successful, and often likable, so people also tend to see them as intelligent, kind, and funny.

What Is the Halo Effect?

The halo effect is also sometimes referred to as the "physical attractiveness stereotype" and the "what is beautiful is also good" principle.

Physical appearance is often a major part of the halo effect. People who are considered attractive tend to be rated higher on other positive traits as well.

However, this effect doesn't just affect our perceptions of people based on their attractiveness. It can also encompass other traits as well. People who are sociable or kind, for example, may also be seen as more likable and intelligent. The halo effect makes it so that perceptions of one quality lead to biased judgments of other qualities.

The term itself uses the analogy of a halo to describe how it can affect perceptions.

When you see someone through the lens of the halo effect, you are seeing them cast in a similar light. That "halo" created by your perception of one characteristic covers them in the same way.

In religious art, a halo is often portrayed over a saint's head, bathing the individual in a heavenly light to show that that person is good.

The History of the Halo Effect

Psychologist Edward Thorndike first coined the term in a 1920 paper titled "The Constant Error in Psychological Ratings." In the experiment described in the paper, Thorndike asked commanding officers in the military to evaluate a variety of qualities in their subordinate soldiers. These characteristics included such things as leadership, physical appearance, intelligence, loyalty, and dependability.

Thorndike's goal was to determine how ratings of one quality bled over to assessments of other characteristics. He found that high ratings of a particular quality correlated to high ratings of other characteristics, while negative ratings of a specific quality also led to lower ratings of other characteristics.

"The correlations were too high and too even," Thorndike wrote. "For example, for the three raters next studied the average correlation for physique with intelligence is .31; for physique with leadership, .39; and for physique with character, .28."

So why do our overall impressions of a person create this halo that influences our evaluations of specific traits? Researchers have found that attractiveness is one factor that can play a role.﻿﻿

Several different studies have found that when we rate people as good-looking, we also tend to believe that they have positive personality traits and that they are more intelligent. One study even found that jurors were less likely to believe that attractive people were guilty of criminal behavior.

However, this attractiveness stereotype can also be a double-edged sword. Other studies have found that while people are more likely to ascribe a host of positive qualities to attractive people, they are also more likely to believe that good-looking individuals are vain, dishonest, and likely to use their attractiveness to manipulate others.

Impact of the Halo Effect

The halo effect may have an impact on a number of real-world settings.

In Education

Research has found that the halo effect may play a role in educational settings. Teachers may interact with students differently based on perceptions of attractiveness. Older research, for example, found that teachers had better expectations of kids that they rated as being more attractive.﻿﻿

Another study that looked at academic records of more than 4,500 students. A group of 28 people then rated the attractiveness of the students (based on a student ID photo) on a scale of 1 (very unattractive) to 10 (very attractive).﻿﻿ Students were then divided into three groups based on these attractiveness assessments: below-average, average, and above-average.

Researchers then compared students' grades between classes taken in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting and those taken online. Researchers found that students who were rated as above-average in appearance earned significantly lower grades in online courses than they did in their traditional classes.

The halo effect can influence how teachers treat students, but it can also impact how students perceive teachers. In one study, researchers found that when an instructor was viewed as warm and friendly, students also rated them as more attractive, appealing, and likable.

In the Workplace

There are a number of ways that the halo effect can influence perceptions of others in work settings. For example, experts suggest that the halo effect is one of the most common biases affecting performance appraisals and reviews. Supervisors may rate subordinates based on the perception of a single characteristic rather than the whole of their performance and contribution. For example, a worker's enthusiasm or positive attitude may overshadow their lack of knowledge or skill, causing co-workers to rate them more highly than their actual performance justifies.

The halo effect can also have an impact on income. A study published in the Journal of Economic Psychology found that, on average, attractive food servers earned approximately $1,200 more per year in tips than their unattractive counterparts.﻿﻿

Another study found that physical attractiveness has a positive effect not only on a person's self-confidence but also on their overall income and financial well-being.﻿﻿

Job applicants are also likely to feel the impact of the halo effect. If a prospective employer views the applicant as attractive or likable, they are more likely to also rate the individual as intelligent, competent, and qualified.

In Marketing

Marketers take advantage of the halo effect to sell products and services. When a celebrity spokesperson endorses a particular item, our positive evaluations of that individual can spread to our perceptions of the product itself.

The Reverse Halo (or Horn) Effect

As the name implies, the reverse halo effect occurs when a person judges another negatively based on only one known characteristic. That single trait colors all of the others for someone experiencing the reverse halo effect. For example, a person might assume that someone they view as unattractive is also unkind.

A Word From Verywell

So, the next time you trying to evaluate another person, whether it is deciding which political candidate to vote for or which movie to see on a Friday night, consider how your overall impressions of them might influence your evaluations of other characteristics.

Does your impression of a candidate being a good public speaker lead you to feel that they are also smart, kind, and hard-working? Does thinking that a particular actor is good-looking also lead you to think that they are a compelling actor?

Of course, being aware of the halo effect still doesn't make it easy to avoid its influence on our perceptions and decisions. The halo effect is just one of many biases that allow people to make snap decisions but also contributes to errors in judgment.

Additional Reading

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How the Halo Effect Influences the Way We Perceive Attractive People

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Learn about the halo effect, a cognitive bias that can have a powerful influence on the impressions we form of others.

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The first text i chose to pair was a video on Reverse Appearances. I chose this video because it demonstrates how easily we form assumptions about people that aren’t necessarily true. Throughout the video, the pairs are back to back as the answer a series of questions. Afterwards, they are asked to physically describe their partner based off their opinions. Many of their assumptions were incorrect because they didn't truly know the person. In both novels, neither one of the main characters have the opportunity to show their personality as they are isolated on death row.

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The next text is the song “Dig a Little Deeper” from the movie Princess and the Frog. I chose this song becasue of the lyrics “it don't matter what you look like”, “don't even matter what you are”, and “you got to dig a little deeper find out who you are”. These lyrics showcase the idea that you have to dig a little deeper than the first appearance because there is more to a person than their looks. This can help the readers to understand that ones looks dont define them.

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The next linked text is an article about what people decide about others based on their appearance. It discusses how defendants who look trushtworthy are less likely to receive the death penalty and how the judgement we make from appearances are often wrong.  This connects to both novels as both characters were but on death row for their looks or according to this article “not looking trustworthy”. They were most likely looked at as if they weren’t trustworthy because they were the minorities in their town during a very segregated time. This article further proves that assumptions can’t be made based on one’s appearance if you want them to be accurate.

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The next text I chose was an article about the “halo effect”. This effect is defined as “a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character.” This is one of many ways are thoughts and judgments are clouded by the first impression. In both of the novels, the reverse halo effect is seen as it is when a person judges another negatively based on only visible characteristics.

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The final text I chose was a video of a large group of people that were not familiar with each other. Toghether they stood in boxes that categorized them. Next, they called defining traits of people such as surviving cancer, having tattoos, and being a war veteran. This video showed that all of us have different things about us that cant be seen from the outside. You have to get to know the person before you decide how to view them. This further exemplifies that assumptions based on appearance are almost always wrong.

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The lesson of not using false assumptions based on appearance is portrayed throughout both of the novels. Using the texts linked with the same lesson of not judging based on appearance, show how common it is in our everyday lives, but also how wrong the assumptions can be when only looking at the outer layer. Using the linked texts as you read both the novels can help with the understanding of how judging others based on appearance leads to false perceptions.

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It is necessary to not form false assumptions based on ones appearance

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In the novel a Lesson Before Dying, narrated by Grant Wiggins,  a young boy, Jefferson, has been sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. Grant is given the task by Jeffersons godmother, Miss Emma and her best friend, Grants Aunt Lou, to visit Jefferson at the prison and make him a man before he is executed. This task brings many challenges and learning experiences to Grant. As he is trying to help Jefferson grow as a man, he is also facing his own challenge of not being happy with his life. But with the help of his girlfriend Vivian, and seeing the progress he is making with Jefferson, gives him the courage to keep on trying.

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“Do you see a man sitting here?…Do you see a modicum of intelligence?… can plan anything? A cornered animal to strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited from his ancestors on the deepest jungle of th blackest Africa.”(Gaines 7).

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“Twelve white men say a black man must die, and another white man sets the date and time without consulting one black person.” (Gaines 157)

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“The clerk set the radio beside the cash register and went to see what the white woman wanted. The other woman was not buying anything; she only wanted to talk. So they stood there about ten minutes before the clerk came back to wait on me.” (Gaines 176).

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In the novel Just Mercy, narrated by Bryan Stevenson, an aspiring defense attorney tackles the case of falsely accused Walter McMillan. Walter is on death row for a murder he was falsely accused of committing. Bryan, being a young, determined lawyer, sets out to prove him not guilty. This case is not as easy as Bryan had once imagined it to be. Being a black attorney and having to prove innocence of a black man in a majority white town, reveals the prejudice that is present in the justice system.

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“For example, African Americans were often excluded from jury service on felony crime cases in Monroe County” (Stevenson 57)

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“No evidence except that he was an African American man involved in an adulterous interracial affair, which meant he was reckless and possibly dangerous even if he had no prior criminal history and a good reputation.”(Stevenson 31)

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“In Alabama, even though 65 percent of all homicide victims were black, nearly 80 percent of the people on death row were there for crimes against victims who were white. Black defendant and white victim pairings in response the likelihood of a death sentence even more.” (Stevenson 118-119)

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In the novel,  A Lesson Before Dying,  the journey of a young boy, Jefferson, on death row is documented. Through they help of Grant, Jefferson is able to fulfill his godmothers wish of being a man when he is put to death. The theme that is the most prominent is the theme of prejudice. Jefferson is sentenced to death row and not given a fair trial, based on his skin color. He lives in a town that is run strictly but white men, who believe that he is guilty. Prejudice is also seem throughout the novel when discussing the different locations in town to socialize. There is a black side of town and a white side of town and you are not to cross into the opposite side. In the novel Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson is on a mission to prove Walter McMillians innocence after he is put on death row. This presents many challenges and difficulties for both Bryan and Walters family. In the end, after much hardwork and dedication, Bryan is successful in making Walter a free man. The theme that is present in this novel is also prejudice. The evidence used against Walter is false information from white people trying to rid of their own crimes. The testimonies of false information are led by the government officials in his town and are successful because Walter is a black man in a majority white town. A Lesson Before Dying and Just Mercy are both stories of the difficulties of being the minority in a town and the problems that are presented. Both main characters are assumed guilty based only on their skin color, instead of looking at the real situation.

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The poem Appearance by Willis Martyn connects to both texts because of the message it conveys. The message of the poem is that we humans base so much on appearances, instead of truly getting to know a person. What we see on the outside doesn’t define the person underneath that, meaning we can’t form true assumptions about others until we get to know them. This aligns wiht the the lesson of not forming false opinions based on one’s appearance becasue you cant know who a person really by just looking at them. Instead of placing “much on appearance. Less on what it conceals” we need to learn the true nature of others. In both novels, the wrongly convicted are both harshly judged because of their appearance, even more so than the crime they “committed”.