Research Article
The Prevalence of the Halo Effect among University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.29-5-2025.2360818, author={Voosini Saravanan and Sangamitra Sathiaseelan and Praveena Selvom and Kugineeshni Gopal and Atasha Ayuni Jaafar and Md Azman Shahadan}, title={The Prevalence of the Halo Effect among University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study}, proceedings={Proceedings of the 7th International Seminar on Psychology Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto, ISPsy 2025, 29th May 2025, Purwokerto, Central Java, Indonesia}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={ISPSY}, year={2025}, month={12}, keywords={halo effect first impression job recruitment workplace interview}, doi={10.4108/eai.29-5-2025.2360818} }- Voosini Saravanan
Sangamitra Sathiaseelan
Praveena Selvom
Kugineeshni Gopal
Atasha Ayuni Jaafar
Md Azman Shahadan
Year: 2025
The Prevalence of the Halo Effect among University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study
ISPSY
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.29-5-2025.2360818
Abstract
The Halo effect is a first impression bias where perceptions in one domain influence judgements in others, potentially leading to inaccurate assessments in organizational settings. Therefore, this quasi experiment was conducted to investigate the prevalence of the Halo effect among university students using a sample of ten female undergraduates from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). Using a within-subjects design, each participant acted as an interviewer and evaluated two confederates portraying either a good or bad first impression in simulated job interviews. Based on the descriptive analysis, n = 7 chose Confederate 1 with a good first impression while only n = 3 chose Confederate 2 with a bad first impression. This shows the prevalence of the Halo effect on UPSI students’ job recruitment decisions. This experiment offers insights into the importance of raising awareness about Halo effect among undergraduate students who may play the role of future employees and recruiters.
