Self-Serving Bias
People evaluate themselves generally superior than others and think that they are the only conscious one. Self-Serving bias is the situation when people credit themselves for the good things happen to them or when there is something positive, this is because of their ability or superiority. But when something bad happens to them, it is because of peripheral factors or result of other external factors.
In the Animal Farm book, George Orwell gives that self-serving bias idea so many times. After the election of the leader between the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, every time something good happens in farm, it was by the help of Comrade Napoleon. On the other hand, when something occurs bad in farm, or something unwanted happens in farm; it was because of Snowball or his traitor fellows in the farm. Even when the windmill destructed for the first time after the storm, Napoleon blamed Snowball and his friends to demolish windmill and accused them for betrayal (p.85). But for example, when they fight with the humans and won the battle, they said Comrade Napoleon is always right, they won with the help of Comrade Napoleon (p.117).
Halo Effect and Brainwashing
When we see some good features in a person like good appearance, physical strength or large body, suddenly we start to match some other good things with them like smartness, reliability and leadership ability. This is called halo effect. Brainwashing is the activity that make people believe to something by repeatedly telling an idea or persuading them to a
specific information by using a good way of communication. It makes people to feel better when something occurs, even though the results are bad, they feel comfortable because they believed the way that is told to them.
In the book, writer mentions that halo effect on two characters: Napoleon and Squealer. Firstly, Napoleon was a pig, and it was thought that pigs are smart and only they can lead the whole farm. Even in the book, it says Napoleon was hulky and hard-eyed Berkshire pig (p.30). Then it’s thought that it can lead the farm with that features. Also, Squealer was another pig, who is like a right arm of Napoleon. It was the brainwasher of the farm and has a very persuasive and convincing language. Even the writer says that it could turn black into white (p.31). Squealer is the propogandist of Napoleon. After every event, the way it conveys the results were always nice and persuasive. Even though the rules of farm are broken sometimes, it explained situation like something necessary for that time. For example, there was a rule in 7 farm rules, which is saying no animal will sleep on the beds. While Squealer explains the rule again, it says no animal will sleep on the bed with bedsheets on. Then adds that there is no bedsheet the one they are sleeping on. Also, it defends that they should be relaxed a bit because they are on duty all the time (p.84). Throughout the book, Squealer wash the brains of animals after anything they do. Lastly, even it changed the “four feet good, two feet bad!” motto of the farm with “four feet good, two feet better!” by training the sheeps, and try to convince the farm about the change of pigs new style, they were like humans with whips (p.141).
References
Brainwash: meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/brainwash.
Shweder, R. (n.d.). What Is the Halo Effect? Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/the-halo-effect.
Weiner, Bernard. 1985. An Attributional Theory of Achievement Motivation and Emotion. Psychological Review 92 (4): 548–573.
