Which term refers to judging someone as less credible because you dislike them?

Which term refers to judging someone as less credible because you dislike them?

• A. Horn effect
• B. Halo effect
• C. Stereotyping
• D. Bias blind spot

Answer: (A)

The horn effect describes how a negative impression of a person can spill over into other judgments about them, including their credibility. If you dislike someone, that dislike can color your assessment of what they say, making you view their statements as less reliable or truthful even when the evidence is the same. It’s a bias rooted in how one initial or overall negative feeling can influence perception of specific traits like honesty or competence. Think of the opposite to see why this fits: the halo effect would make you rate someone as more credible because you like them. Stereotyping applies broad generalizations about a group rather than an individual’s credibility based on personal dislike. The bias blind spot is about failing to recognize your own biases, not about how a specific dislike affects credibility.

The horn effect describes how a negative impression of a person can spill over into other judgments about them, including their credibility. If you dislike someone, that dislike can color your assessment of what they say, making you view their statements as less reliable or truthful even when the evidence is the same. It’s a bias rooted in how one initial or overall negative feeling can influence perception of specific traits like honesty or competence.

Think of the opposite to see why this fits: the halo effect would make you rate someone as more credible because you like them. Stereotyping applies broad generalizations about a group rather than an individual’s credibility based on personal dislike. The bias blind spot is about failing to recognize your own biases, not about how a specific dislike affects credibility.