๐ง Quick Study Guide: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
- ๐ฏ Definition: A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that, by being made, causes itself to become true. It's a powerful psychological phenomenon where an individual's expectations about another person or event can influence their behavior, leading to the fulfillment of those expectations.
- ๐ Origin & Key Figure: The concept was popularized by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1948. Merton described it as a false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which makes the originally false conception come true.
- ๐ก Core Mechanism: It typically involves a three-step process: 1) An individual (or group) holds an expectation about a future event or another person. 2) This expectation influences their behavior towards that event or person. 3) The influenced behavior then causes the original expectation to be realized.
- ๐ค Interpersonal Examples: The 'Pygmalion Effect' (or Rosenthal Effect) is a classic example in education, where higher expectations lead to improved performance, and the 'Golem Effect,' where lower expectations lead to decreased performance.
- ๐ Societal Impact: Can be observed in areas like economics (e.g., a bank run caused by rumors of insolvency), stereotypes (e.g., negative expectations about a group leading to discriminatory behavior and confirming the stereotype), and even personal relationships.
- ๐ง Cognitive Biases Involved: Often intertwined with confirmation bias (seeking out information that confirms existing beliefs) and attribution bias (interpreting others' actions in a way that aligns with initial expectations).
- โ ๏ธ Breaking the Cycle: Awareness of the phenomenon, critical self-reflection, challenging initial assumptions, and actively seeking disconfirming evidence can help prevent negative self-fulfilling prophecies.
๐ Practice Quiz: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Which sociologist popularized the concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy?
- A) Albert Bandura
- B) B.F. Skinner
- C) Robert K. Merton
- D) Sigmund Freud
What is the core idea behind a self-fulfilling prophecy?
- A) Predicting an event accurately based on available data.
- B) A prediction that, by being made, causes itself to become true.
- C) The ability to change past events through strong belief.
- D) A prophecy that can only be fulfilled by an external, uncontrollable force.
The 'Pygmalion Effect' is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy primarily seen in which context?
- A) Economic markets
- B) Educational settings
- C) Weather forecasting
- D) Political campaigns
Which of the following is NOT typically a step in the self-fulfilling prophecy process?
- A) An expectation is formed.
- B) The expectation influences behavior.
- C) The behavior causes the expectation to be realized.
- D) The prophecy is revealed through divine intervention.
If a teacher believes a student is unintelligent and, as a result, gives them less attention and challenging work, leading the student to perform poorly, this is an example of:
- A) The Hawthorne Effect
- B) The Golem Effect
- C) The Placebo Effect
- D) The Halo Effect
Which cognitive bias often works in conjunction with self-fulfilling prophecies, leading individuals to seek out information that confirms their initial beliefs?
- A) Hindsight Bias
- B) Availability Heuristic
- C) Confirmation Bias
- D) Anchoring Bias
What is a key strategy for breaking a negative self-fulfilling prophecy?
- A) Ignoring the prophecy and hoping it disappears.
- B) Actively challenging initial assumptions and seeking disconfirming evidence.
- C) Blaming external factors for the prophecy's fulfillment.
- D) Waiting for someone else to change their behavior first.
Click to see Answers
1. C
2. B
3. B
4. D
5. B
6. C
7. B