The HALO Effect: Why Attractive People Are More Successful

Today, we will learn about why attractive people are more successful. On average, attractive people are 20% more likely to get a callback for a job interview. They also receive promotions more frequently and earn more respect in the workplace.

Beautiful people even make higher salaries, with above-average men and women earning between 5 and 15% per cent more than their counterparts. While no one is guaranteed wealth or success, it sure seems like attractive people have an easier time achieving it. In nearly every country and class, across cultures and industries, attractiveness is a strong predictor of success. While few employers admit to favouring beautiful people, it’s hard to argue with the mountain of data and proof at our disposal. The “beauty bias,” as it’s often called, has been researched and proven by hundreds of studies, demonstrating the measurable advantages possessed by the world’s most attractive individuals. So, why is there such an overwhelming bias toward traditionally beautiful people, especially in professional settings?

What do good looks have to do with talent, skill, or career potential? If you look only at the data, beauty and performance are not correlated in any meaningful way. An ugly person is just as likely to be passionate, motivated, and hard-working as someone with above-average looks. But that’s not the whole story. Even though attractive and unattractive people perform equally well, one group is overwhelmingly perceived as more valuable in the workplace than the other. Imagine an employer looking to fill a vacant position at their company.

So, the employer interviews two candidates, both equally qualified, and equally talented. Odds are the employer will hire the more attractive of the two candidates, especially if that candidate is someone of the opposite gender. Of course, the employer may not realize that physical beauty influenced their decision. If you ask the employer, “why did you hire Candidate A over Candidate B?” they’ll likely say something like this: “I thought Candidate A was more confident and ambitious,” or, “I like the way that Candidate A carried themselves; they seemed smart and likeable.” This is one of the primary reasons why the “beauty bias” promotes appearance-based discrimination. Our favouritism toward attractive people is grounded not only in their appearance but in a bank of personality traits we unconsciously associate with physical beauty. In psychology, this powerful cognitive bias is called the Halo Effect, and it consistently shapes our perceptions of others.

To understand the tremendous influence of the Halo Effect, think about this: what’s the first thing you do when you encounter a new person? You might say hello. You might introduce yourself. You might talk about something you have in common. All the while, you are evaluating the qualities of the person in front of you. Are they smart? Are they kind? Do they seem driven and motivated or lazy and impulsive? All of these traits contribute to your overall impression of their personality. Naturally, that impression influences how you act moving forward.

Would you hire them to work at your company? Would you invite them out to dinner, or would you rather end the conversation and never see them again? If we control for physical attraction, people are decently accurate judges of personality and character. After all, we’ve been practising this essential social skill for most of our lives. But what happens when physical attraction enters the equation? According to the halo effect, physical beauty compromises our judgment and distorts our overall impressions of the people we meet.

When you encounter someone very attractive, you assume they have other positive traits, like humour and intelligence, even if they aren’t that funny or smart. While the halo effect seems like a modern phenomenon, it’s been tested and documented for over 100 years. The term halo effect was coined in 1920 by American psychologist Edward Thorndike. In his paper A Constant Error in Psychological Ratings, Thorndike asked a group of military officers to rank their subordinates according to their intelligence, leadership abilities, and physique.

Interestingly, their ratings of non-physical traits, like intelligence and leadership were significantly correlated with their ratings of physical beauty. Since Thorndike’s original study, many more concrete examples of the Halo Effect have been published. Across dozens of studies, participants were more likely to attribute positive qualities, like health and intelligence, to traditionally attractive people. In most cases, their quick judgments were not accurate reflections of anyone’s actual abilities.

For example, in a 2016 review, beautiful people were perceived as higher academic performers than unattractive people, but researchers found no significant differences in their grades, test scores, or IQs. While attractive people rarely perform any better on paper, they’re consistently perceived as more talented, healthy, or intelligent across various domains. The halo effect can create professional opportunities for the world’s most attractive individuals, but the influence of the halo effect extends far beyond job interviews and promotions. The same assumptions that give beautiful people a leg up in the workplace allow them to find more success in social and romantic settings.

The same 2016 review demonstrated a positive correlation between attractive people and perceived social skills, like extroversion and conscientiousness. Other studies have revealed a similar relationship between beauty and confidence, which many consider a desirable personality trait. Because of their good looks, attractive people are perceived as charming, friendly, and socially dominant. These qualities make them more likely to attract potential partners, connect with new friends, and merge with existing social circles. In general, they receive more attention from others, and sometimes to the point of exaggeration or even fantasy. Think about an actor, musician, or celebrity you find physically attractive.

What is your overall impression of their personality outside of their good looks? Fame and stardom depend heavily on the halo effect. A celebrity’s beauty is advertised on TV and emphasized public appeal, leading many people to develop a positive yet biased perception of their personalities. You may assume your favourite celebrities are kind and compassionate. You may adore their sense of humour and imagine how wonderful it might be to meet in person.

If your favourite celebrity does something wrong, you’re more likely to forgive them because the halo effect has affected your judgment. Imagine if a less attractive or successful person made the same mistakes or advertised their looks in the same way. It’s unlikely they would receive as much attention and affection as many celebrities earn from their fans. While many variables contribute to someone’s popularity, the halo effect is undoubtedly one of them. On the other hand, who’s to say these attractive people aren’t as kind, funny, and confident as we imagine them to be? How do we know if our assumptions about attractive people are incorrect? The halo effect is not a one-way street.

So far, we’ve talked about perceptions of success, intelligence, and confidence. We’ve discussed the illusion of skill, talent, or career potential, but what about actual performance? Are Attractive people more likely to become successful? Imagine sitting at work, plugging away on a project, when you overhear your coworkers discussing how motivated, bright, or ambitious you are. How would these compliments make you feel? You may feel more motivated and ambitious simply because other people associate those positive qualities of your personality.

In the same way, the Halo Effect encourages attractive people to develop more confidence, grow their intelligence, and pursue loftier goals. The world believes they are more capable than most, so there’s a greater chance that attractive people rise to the occasion. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Unattractive people are more likely to be underestimated or ignored because of their looks. While attractive people receive raises, make friends, and connect with desirable partners, unattractive people are more familiar with rejection. Sometimes, this discourages them from setting bigger goals and actively pursuing them.

However, there are many instances of underestimated people rising to the top, driven by a deep desire to prove everyone wrong. Whether you’re attractive or unattractive, successful or unsuccessful, learning about the halo effect allows you to positively influence how others perceive you. In an ideal world, your merits could stand on their own, but the halo effect is one of many cognitive biases that skew people’s perceptions of your personality. If you know the game isn’t going to be fair, why not stack the deck in your favour? According to psychologist Solomon Asch, most people’s opinions and perceptions rely on first impressions.

When you first meet someone, they quickly develop an overall impression based on your looks, speech, and behaviour. We know that people over-emphasize first impressions, so stop expecting anyone to withhold their judgments or assumptions. Don’t count on a second chance or slowly making your mark over time. Instead, make the most of your first impressions. Spend time and effort to improve your appearance by working on your wardrobe, enhancing your style or adopting healthier habits.

Learn different techniques that communicate confidence, intelligence, and success. A firm handshake, for example, influences people’s judgments more than you realize. If there’s one thing to take away from this video, it’s this: our judgments aren’t always accurate, but that doesn’t make them any less significant. We’re taught never to judge a book by its cover, but that’s precisely what we do every day of our lives. We make faulty assumptions and quick judgments. We cater to the most attractive people, assigning them positive qualities they may not possess or deserve.

However, this cognitive bias is built into our psychology. We can be aware of our uninformed assumptions, but the halo effect isn’t disappearing anytime soon. So, do your best to make strong and positive first impressions.

Be mindful of your image and make an effort to improve your appearance. You never know what will influence people’s overall impressions of you.