The rater's tendency to judge a subject based on an overall impression rather than the specific trait is called what?

• A. Halo Effect
• B. Primacy Effect
• C. Horn Effect
• D. Leniency Bias

Answer: (A)

Halo effect occurs when an evaluator relies on an overall favorable impression of someone to judge their separate traits. If you’re impressed by a person in one area—like charisma or polish—you’re more likely to rate their honesty, competence, and reliability higher, even if the evidence for those traits is mixed. This single, global impression colors multiple judgments across different attributes.

The other biases operate differently: the horn effect is the negative counterpart, where a negative overall impression leads to harsher ratings; primacy effect refers to the tendency for earlier information to disproportionately shape judgments; and leniency bias is a general tendency to rate more leniently across the board, regardless of the individual traits.