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.