Barack Obama, David Beckham and the Halo Effect

By  Darasimi Oshodi

Barack Obama, president of the United States of America is a man of the people. His popularity extends beyond the shores of the U.S. He is loved all over the world. I believe he is loved on the African continent mainly because of his colour. He is seen as the hero of the black race and many Africans prayed that he would win the election that brought him into power in 2009. One of the things that Obama is admired for and which helped his presidential bid in no small measure is his oratorical power. In fact, Obama rose to national prominence as a result of an electrifying keynote speech he delivered at the Democratic National Convention on July, 27, 2004 in Boston Massachusetts.

The name, David Beckham, is a name the average soccer buff is familiar with. One of the things that have made Beckham famous is the way he takes free kicks. His free kicks are simply beautiful and breathtaking. Actually, his free kicks gave rise to the slogan, Bend it like Beckham. In fact, in 2002, a movie was produced bearing the title Bend it like Beckham. And there is more to David Beckham. He is a brand, a global brand. Beckham is actually a fans’ favourite; he is loved all over the globe. Thus, it is not surprising that he has endorsement deals with many huge companies like Coca-Cola, IBM, etc.

So what makes Obama, Beckham and many other famous personalities likable? It is called the halo effect. And what is the halo effect?

The halo effect is a mental predisposition that makes us to perceive someone in a good light because of one good trait we have observed in the person. One good quality spills it appeal to other elements of a person’s character. Thus one good quality of a person overshadows the other qualities of the person. The opposite of this is called the horn effect. This is when one bad trait overshadows the other traits of an individual.

It is believed that halo or horn effects happen all the time. Our decisions, judgments, opinions or estimations of people are usually influenced by the halo or horn effect. One positive characteristic that we like in a person can affect our perception in a way that increases the attraction of the person’s other attributes or blind us to any negative one. We tend to ignore negative comments about such person because they don’t fit with the positive qualities we associate with them. This means the halo effect can cloud our judgment; it influences our judgment. The following false assumptions are examples of how the halo or horn effect influences our judgment: attractive people are usually more intelligent than unattractive people; overweight people are usually lazy.

Barak Obama is an acknowledged orator able to move people with his words. This probably made people to think he would be able be a good leader, hence the overwhelming support he received when he declared his intention to run for the presidency of the United States of America.  Americans’ expectations were high when he got to power but people soon realised that oratory is different from administration. (I must add that I am not passing any judgment on Obama’s performance in office so far. In fact, I am not in a good position to do that). The truth is that oratory does not make one a good leader but my own observation is that the most persuasive speaker is usually the one likely to win an election.

While David Beckham may get a lot of admiration because of his good looks, I believe people’s positive perception of him was shaped by the free kick exploits he is renowned for. His ability to produce such feats on a consistent basis apparently enhanced his popularity and people are apparently willing to overlook whatever vice(s) he may have.

The halo effect is probably influencing your decisions concerning who and who to associate with; what products to buy, even who to vote for. This probably is why multinational companies cancel their endorsement contract with celebrities involved in scandals because they believe people’s opinion of their brand ambassador may affect patronage of their products. You can also enhance your rating with people by taking advantage of the halo effect. How? Identify what you are very good at, spend a lot of energy and time developing yourself in this area and soon people will come to admire you. They are most likely not going to focus on areas where you don’t possess much strength. In fact, they will take it for granted that you can do a lot of things that you may not be able to do.

You can also take advantage of the halo effect by ensuring you display enthusiasm, positivity, optimism, confidence, etc. in your relationship with people because these characteristics make one attractive. Please note that I am not asking you to be phony or pretend to be what you are not. The aim of this piece is to write my observations on the way some things affect our perception of people or people’s perception of us.