1. Influences of Social Distancing and attachment styles on the strength of the Halo Effect
- Author
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Yun Yee Lim, Giulio Gabrieli, Gianluca Esposito, School of Social Sciences, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Psychology, University of Trento, and Social and Affective Neuroscience Lab
- Subjects
Male ,Epidemiology ,Emotions ,Social Sciences ,Social Distancing ,Families ,Medical Conditions ,Elderly ,Psychological Attitudes ,Halo effect ,Medicine and Health Sciences ,Ethnicities ,Psychology ,Children ,media_common ,Multidisciplinary ,Social distance ,Fear ,Middle Aged ,Infectious Diseases ,Medicine ,Female ,Halo ,Anatomy ,Halo Effect ,Social psychology ,Priming (psychology) ,Personality ,Research Article ,Adult ,Infectious Disease Control ,Science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Physical Distancing ,Impression formation ,Affect (psychology) ,Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic ,Social sciences ,Young Adult ,Psychology [Social sciences] ,Attachment theory ,Humans ,Adults ,Pandemics ,SARS-CoV-2 ,COVID-19 ,Biology and Life Sciences ,Age Groups ,Attachment Style ,Face ,People and Places ,Linear Models ,Population Groupings ,Head - Abstract
The Halo Effect is a widely studied phenomenon that interests multiple disciplines. The relationship between Aesthetics Appearance and perceived Trustworthiness has especially gathered the attention of social scientists. While experimental works compared the strength of the Halo Effect in different situations (e.g. different genders’ faces), little is known about the stability of the Halo. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been urged to distance ourselves from others. Similar suggestions may alter the relationship between Aesthetic Appearance and Perceived Trustworthiness. Moreover, previous works reported that individuals’ attachment styles affected their emotional responses to the pandemic. Individuals’ attachment styles may influence the magnitude of change of the Halo. Here we investigate how priming (Social Distancing or Contact with others) affects the strength of the Halo Effect, with respect to individuals’ attachment styles. Participants (N = 298) rated the Aesthetics and Perceived Trustworthiness of strangers’ faces (N = 96) presented twice, before and after the presentation of a prime. Results revealed that individuals’ attachment styles affect the strength of the Halo. However, we found no evidence supporting the fact that different attachment styles lead to differences in the magnitude of changes after priming. Results help shed light on how attachment styles influence individuals’ impression formation. Ministry of Education (MOE) Published version This research was supported by grants from the NAP SUG to GE (M4081597, 2015-2021). Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its Academic Research Fund Tier 1 (RT10/19 and RG55/18). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
- Published
- 2021