Halo effect
Halo effect is a mistake of assessment or perceptional effect. A person’s single character traits generally result in an overall impression which “outshines” a further perception of this person.
A typical example of the halo effect would be a teacher who assumes that a good-looking and friendly pupil has to perform well at school. Concerning market research the halo effect needs to be taken into consideration when designing a questionnaire. It is the effect of preceding subjects and questions on subsequent questions.
If for example the preceding question evokes certain thoughts or emotions this might have an effect on the reply to the next question. There is also the danger that the respondent‘s ideas and thoughts are systematically directed into a certain direction and the subsequent replies are distorted.
See also:
Market research
Questionnaire
