84. Which of the following is an example of the halo effect?
Answer: C
A supervisor's rating of punctuality influences her ratings on other dimensions on the rating form.
The halo effect occurs when an individual's overall impression of a person influences their feelings and thoughts about that person's character or properties. In this case, a supervisor's positive or negative assessment of a worker's punctuality can affect their evaluation of other unrelated aspects, demonstrating the halo effect.
A) A supervisor's ratings are compressed into a normal distribution.
This option does not illustrate the halo effect, as it simply describes a statistical distribution of ratings rather than how one specific rating influences another. The halo effect specifically relates to biases stemming from an overall impression rather than distribution patterns.
B) A supervisor's ratings are based on critical behaviors of productivity.
While this option mentions productivity, it does not reflect the halo effect since it emphasizes objective behaviors rather than how one rating might influence another. The halo effect specifically involves a bias in ratings that is not based on critical evaluations of performance.
C) A supervisor's rating of punctuality influences her ratings on other dimensions on the rating form.
This option exemplifies the halo effect perfectly. It shows how a supervisor may let their perception of one positive trait, such as punctuality, cloud their judgment on other unrelated dimensions, thus demonstrating the bias inherent in the halo effect.
D) A supervisor tends to give all 4's and 5's on a 5-point scale.
This option describes a tendency to rate highly but does not reflect the halo effect. It may suggest leniency or a lack of differentiation in ratings but does not illustrate the influence of one specific attribute on the evaluation of others.
E) A supervisor has difficulty choosing between two descriptions of a worker's behavior.
This option does not pertain to the halo effect. It describes a situation of indecision rather than the influence of one characteristic on the perception of another. The halo effect specifically involves the impact of one trait on the overall evaluation.
Conclusion
Option C is the definitive example of the halo effect, illustrating how a supervisor's view of punctuality can bias their overall evaluations of an employee. The other options either describe unrelated phenomena or lack the critical component of bias in ratings that the halo effect embodies. Thus, they do not fulfill the criteria necessary to be considered examples of this psychological phenomenon.