The Pygmalion Effect. Or the prophecy that fulfils itself
I was talking to a client recently and was struck by something she said: “Growing up, people used to tell me how brilliant I was. Now, I am not so sure anymore. I don’t think I sound smart. So, I am always anxious when I’m with colleagues (she’s a lawyer).”
It got me thinking about a similar phenomenon I’d noticed passing through medical school. Many people who get into medical school, including myself, have been told they are smart through primary and secondary school. Parents and teachers always had high expectations of them. Their classmates didn’t bother checking their results because everyone took it for granted that they would be the best academically.
And in med school, boom, the game changes! They are told that it’s the big leagues now: “half of y’all won’t make it.” And then, all of a sudden, they start to doubt their brilliance. Some of them get so stressed that they lose ourselves. Some check out. Others struggle through, content to score the minimum to pass exams. I talked about it with one of my friends lately. I commented on how she used to be a fearless public speaker. She thought about it for a moment and commented, “They said. I don’t know how they saw it. But that’s what they said.” Beneath her attempt at modesty, (which was not characteristic of her anyway), I recognized a similar befuddlement in her tone (and yes, that was a Harry Potter reference).
Where did we lose it? Had we been deceived that we were brilliant in the first place? Or had we been set forward, carried on the wings of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Welcome to the Pygmalion Effect.
What is The Pygmalion Effect?
Pygmalion was the father of all perfectionists. According to Greek mythology, he was unsatisfied with the women of his time so he did what many of us wish we could: he carved himself a sculpture of the perfect woman. It was so magnificent he imbued it with all his love and dedication, and as a reward, the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite, breathed life into the sculpture.
The Pygmalion effect refers to the phenomenon where someone’s expectations of another person’s performance can influence that person’s actual behavior and achievement. In essence, a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is also known as the Rosenthal effect, named after the psychologist who devised a clever way to empirically prove that this phenomenon really does exist.
Rosenthal and Jacobsen administered an IQ test to primary school students at the beginning of the school year. Then they chose 20% of the students at random and gave their names to their teachers as those who had exceptional IQs — ‘bloomers’ — and were expected to do better than everyone else that year. The students did not know this. But at the end of the school year, those randomly picked students actually did better than everyone else!
They found that the teachers did not expect too much from the average children and gave all their attention to the handpicked ‘Bloomers’. The teachers created a nicer environment for them; they gave them more time and attention, called on them for answers more often, and gave them more detailed feedback when they got something wrong. It’s entirely possible that the teachers didn’t go out of their way to be so biased. More likely, this preferential treatment was working at a subconscious level. In turn, the bloomers subconsciously internalized these cues of an inordinate belief in their abilities and put in their best.
But children are impressionable creatures. Surely, such trickery would not work on rational adults, right? Military psychologist Dov Eden put it to a test. They did something similar for soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force. This time randomly picked platoon leaders were given hints that their trainees were the best and the brightest. The platoons were trained separately and so the trainers of other platoons just carried on as usual. Again, the Pygmalion effect blew its cover. The selected groups — and I cannot stress this enough, they were selected completely at random! — outperformed the others.
Why does it work?
Now, this doesn’t happen all the time. The Pygmalion effect is no magic bullet. But sometimes, all we need is someone to believe in us. This bias occurs because others’ expectations impact both their own behavior and our behavior. This works on both conscious and subconscious levels. The mere act of telling someone, “I believe in you,” can spur them to put their best foot forward. And even when the positivity is not directly communicated, our minds are like sponges; they are able to soak up the energy given off by others, especially those we trust and admire.
But watch out now, because this phenomenon can work just as powerfully on the flip side. When an authority figure predicts that someone will perform poorly and communicates that in their words and actions, they set up a cascade of events that lead to that poor performance. And that is why negative stereotypes too are self-fulfilling prophecies.
Research on stereotypes convincingly shows that when students worry that their own poor academic performance could unintentionally confirm a negative stereotype of their social group, they actually perform poorly, thus confirming that stereotype. Stereotype threat, as it is called, is the Pygmalion effect weaponized, and it has been found in high-achieving black students as well as highly ranked female math students in America.
Where does it show up?
When you really think of it, most of us have experienced the Pygmalion effect close up. Its far-reaching implications can be seen in the lives of both the young and the old. They can have positive effects on people in different spheres of life as well as negative ones.
At home: way before they get into a classroom, kids have already started learning, soaking up the energy around them. If parents choose to treat their children as intelligent, talented, independent human beings, according to the Pygmalion effect, they are more likely to internalize these attitudes and act accordingly. On the other hand, if a parent views their child as incapable, unintelligent, or weak, that child will most likely lower themselves to those expectations.
At school: Teachers who expect their students to do well tend to devote more time and attention to them, provide clearer explanations, and offer more challenging tasks. This can lead to improved student performance, fulfilling the teacher’s initial expectations.
Students who are labeled as “gifted” or “having potential” often receive more positive reinforcement and opportunities, which can boost their confidence and motivation, leading them to live up to the label.
In the workplace: Managers who believe in their employees’ abilities tend to delegate more responsibility and provide more autonomy, which can motivate employees to take initiative and perform better.
Employees who receive positive feedback and encouragement from their supervisors are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and perform at a higher level.
At the doctor’s office: Patients who receive a positive prognosis from their doctor may experience faster recovery times due to the increased hope and optimism.
Patients with substance addiction who are deemed to have greater motivation at the start of therapy tend to receive more positivity and encouragement from the therapist, and — surprise, surprise! — they make better effort at recovery.
In sports: Athletes who are expected to win by their coaches and fans may experience increased pressure, but also feel more motivated and focused, potentially leading to improved performance.
Key takeaway
As Rosenthal himself puts it, “The bottom line is that if we expect certain behaviors from people, we treat them differently — and that treatment is likely to affect their behavior.” What are you saying to those around you with your words and actions? Are you building them up with the prophecy of high expectations and positive enthusiasm? Or are you breaking them down with the omen of negative talk and preconceived negative stereotypes?
