Question

A selection committee was interviewing applicants for a new position in the media department of the college. The psychologist on the committee found it very interesting that a majority of the committee believed that the applicant who was a former beauty queen was the most intelligent, likeable, and socially skilled of all the applicants, although two of the other candidates had considerably more education and experience with college publications. The majority of the committee is exhibiting

a. cognitive dissonance
b. the fundamental attributional error
c. the halo effect
d. the social exchange theory

Answer 1

The correct option is c. the halo effect.

The selection committee is showing the halo effect by favoring a former beauty queen as the most intelligent and skilled candidate despite other candidates having more education and relevant experience.

Step-by-step explanation:

The majority of the selection committee is exhibiting the halo effect. The halo effect occurs when one's overall positive impression of a person (– in this case, a former beauty queen being assumed as the most intelligent, likeable, and socially skilled) influences one's judgments about that person's specific traits. This cognitive bias occurs when one positively rated aspect of a person dominates the way that person is viewed by others.

The psychologist's observation about the committee's preference aligns with findings from social psychology research. For example, physical attractiveness has been shown to positively influence job-related outcomes including hiring decisions (Hosoda, Stone-Romero, & Coats, 2003). Despite education and experience being crucial for the job's requirements, the committee's favoring is swayed by the irrelevant factor of the candidate's beauty queen status.