Allies and Advocates by Amber Cabral

Author:Amber Cabral [Cabral, Amber]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781119772941
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2020-11-17T00:00:00+00:00

Halo and Horns Effects

The halo effect is when a characteristic we like about a person influences our opinions on everything else about that person. The horns effect is when we perceive one negative thing about a person and the “horns” of that one thing influence our opinion about that person. These biases are two sides of the same coin. When we like someone, they can do no wrong. When we don't like someone, they can so no right. Halo and horns effects show up often with celebrities. If you love LeBron James and think he's the greatest of all time, especially considering how well he connects with others and shows love to his family, it might be hard for you to admit when he's having a tough game day. On the other side, though, say you think LeBron James is incredibly arrogant, self-serving—and who refers to themselves as “King,” anyway?—well, you can spot all the missteps LeBron makes with ease. Pick your favorite celeb or the celeb you love to hate and try this; sound familiar?

Halo and horns effects play out in real life. We find reasons to not give promotions and opportunities to people with those horns and will create opportunities for people who have halos. These effects can be a real source of favoritism or discrimination in workplaces or shared spaces.

Bias happens to everyone. You can't escape it. I always tell my clients we are all biasing all over everywhere, all the time. There is no removing all bias because it is wired into how our brains work. So, are you biased? Yes! We all are. The word “bias” has a negative connotation, but, in reality, it does plenty of good in our lives. However, because acting on a bias can also be inappropriate, discriminatory, or offensive, we need to check biased behaviors and be open when someone tells us we are being biased. Rather than taking offense, a more appropriate response is to ask “Can you help me see what I am missing?” so you can become aware of potential biased behavior that could be doing harm.

Before we transition to the next chapter, I want you to do a quick exercise. Pull out a sheet of paper and make a list of ten people you trust who are not immediate family. (Immediate family is anyone you have ever lived in a home with.) Not life-or-death trust, but reasonable trust. You'd invite them to your home for a meal or you know they'd stop if they saw you on the side of the road. I know we have been sheltering in place for a while so it might be a little hard to think about. Maybe pull out your phone. But make sure you have ten people.

Got your list?

Great. Set it aside or tuck it in this book. We will to come back to it later.

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