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Social Psychology: The Pygmalion Effect
Self-fulfilling Prophecy in the Classroom
Group Members: Talisha Jackson and Rick Ley
The Pygmalion Effect
Pygmalion was an ancient king who carved a beautiful female statue
He loved the statue so much that she came to life
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
When one’s expectations for certain behavior in another person lead to that person behaving as expected
The Pygmalion effect is self-fulfilling prophecy in the teacher/student relationship
The Pygmalion Effect
A teacher’s high or low expectations eliciting high or low achievement from their students
Also known as “teacher expectation effects” (Trouilloud, Sarrazin, Bressoux, & Bois, 2006)
How Does It Work?
A teacher has expectations for a student…
…Which influences the student’s own perceived competence…
…Which then affects the student’s level of achievement.
Pygmalion Effect Moderators
Factors that influence the Pygmalion effect:Teachers
Students
Context
Teachers’ Moderation
Some teachers are more prone to treat students differently based on expectations
“…When teachers’ expectations are expressed in salient differences in students’ treatment, conditions are ripe for stronger effects (Trouilloud et al., 2006, p. 77).”
Students’ Moderation
Some students are more prone to be influenced by teacher expectations:
Students in ethnic minorities
Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds
Students with poor previous achievement levels
Contextual Moderation
Certain situations leave students more open to influence by teacher expectations:
Transitions (e.g., from one school to another)
Classrooms with large numbers and low resources
Studying The Pygmalion Effect
The Pygmalion effect is difficult to study
Student achievement matches teacher expectations for reasons besides self-fulfilling prophecy
The teacher’s expectations could simply be accurate
The teacher is often responsible for assessing the student’s performance in school
ReferencesJussim, L. (1989). Teacher expectations: Self-fulfilling
prophecies, perceptual biases, and accuracy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 469-480.
Morris, C., & Maisto, A. (2008). Understanding psychology (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Trouilloud, D., Sarrazin, P., Bressoux, P., & Bois, J. (2006). Relation between teachers’ early expectations and students’ later perceived competence in physical education classes: Autonomy-supportive climate as a moderator. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, 75-86.