Human beings are imperfect. Because of the biological heritage of our most primitive ancestors, people conceive an image or first impression of others in a matter of seconds.

This phenomenon is attributed to the speed and agility of the brain to decide and act accordingly. Well, the Horn effect is something similar : it turns out to be a tendency to form a negative opinion of someone based on a simple and not very detailed observation.

Prejudice as a starting point

Before we fully enter into the technical definition of what the Horn effect is, we need to understand something fundamental about human behavior. We are social beings, we need to be accepted by others and make a good impression . We cannot avoid it, we always want to be part of an identity, of a group.

As a common practice, in the same way that we intentionally give one image or another, we also give our opinion about others. We constantly prejudge, and we do so in a pessimistic way and many others in an optimistic way. Let us see below what this means.

What is the Horn effect?

The Horn effect is everything that is antagonistic to the Halo effect . The latter consists of the generation of a favourable opinion about a person as a whole, based on the observation of a single characteristic that defines him/her: normally, his/her physical appearance. We construct a fictitious mental scheme based on very limited information.

On the contrary, the Horn effect simplifies the perception of what is observed from the attention fixed on the negative. When we join a soccer team, we pay attention to the harangue that the coach reproduces. Depending on the tone, the gesticulation and the vocabulary used, we will think that he is a serious person, with a tendency to a state of tension and anger. Once the session is over, he offers to transport us to his home and we have a pleasant chat with him. Once again, we break the psychological mould that we had set up for ourselves .

In a somewhat summarized way, both the Halo effect and the Horn effect are biased and subjective views that have been analyzed by our cognitive abilities . Selective attention to the traits we are looking at is also part of this process. Sometimes, we try to continue drawing a bad (or good) image of that person in order to maintain our pre-established beliefs.

In the labor market…

We live in a time when everything counts, every detail adds or subtracts, every word denigrates or slanders, and in the world of work this is a very dangerous trend. Especially when making a selection of personnel . According to statistical data, 80% of new candidates do not successfully pass the personal interview.

There are plenty of times when we go to a job interview, with a more than adequate profile, meeting one hundred percent of all the requirements demanded by the job offer, and we return home disappointed and without having accepted the position. For better or worse, the Horn effect has a terrible impact on the selection processes of candidates who are looking for a new professional opportunity.

According to a study revealed by the economic newspaper Expansión, more than 80% of potential candidates for a new job waste time depositing CVs or attending interviews called by companies. Managers or those in charge of Human Resources do not spend more than 1 minute reading the CV or, in many cases, they throw away half of them due to lack of time. They look at the minimum, and form an opinion from very little data.

Some guidelines to avoid the Horn effect

To begin with, we must insist on the idea that it will be virtually impossible to avoid making value judgements about others. We are human beings, and it is a completely natural tendency. However, here are some recommendations to follow in order to avoid, as much as possible, this behavior.

1. Self-analysis

When we are immersed in an analysis at first sight of a person we have just met, and we realize the aspects we have highlighted, we will have to make a balance. If we focus too much on the negative, we will have to look for the positive, and vice versa. Only in this way will we get closer to a better perception of what we observe .

2. Be patient and avoid precipitation

We always rush through everything. We live in a time when everything happens very fast, anything is instantaneous and consumption is immediate. That happens on a human level too. You have to give yourself time, interact more with that person and then evaluate their personality.

3. Don’t trust the first impression

The Horn effect responds, of course, to a first impression. This point correlates with the previous one. D e should insist on seeking more experiences with that person than we have a bad personal relationship with. Perhaps one is in one way at work, and in another way diametrically opposed in social life.

4. Sharing opinion with others

In some situations we are a group or duo of people who know one or more others at a particular time. A highly recommended tip is to exchange opinions with your partner . It is surprising to see how different ways of analyzing the elements radically change the value judgments.

Bibliographic references:

  • Belloch, A., Sandín, B. and Ramos, F. (Eds.) (1995). Manual de Psicopatología (2 vols.). Madrid: McGraw Hill.
  • Bulbena, A., Guimón, J. and Berrios, G. (1993). Measurement in Psychiatry. Barcelona: Salvat.