Self-fulfilling prophecy?

Question

Can you give a definition of what it is?

Answer 1

Description
If a person thinks we are clever or stupid or whatever, they will treat us that way. If we are treated as if we are clever, stupid or whatever, we will act, and even become, this way. The person has thus had their prophecy about us fulfilled!

This is also known as the Pygmalion Effect.

Research
Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson, in 1968, gave all the children in an elementary class a test and told teachers that some of children were unusually clever (though they were actually average). They came back at the end of the school year and tested the same class again. Guess what? The children singled out had improved their scores far more than other children. (Rosenthal 1995).

Example
A management consultant starts off an engagement constantly agreeing with a senior manager in an attempt to build trust. Before long, the senior manager is expecting agreement every time. The consultant soon becomes a confirmed yes-man.

So what?
Using it
To make a person act in a certain way, all you have to do is believe this when you interact with them. If you find it hard to make this jump, persuade others that the target person has desired attributes.

Defending
When people treat you as if you had certain attributes, decide whether this is desirable or not. Question their behavior if you do not wish to be pushed in this direction.

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that, in being made, actually causes itself to become true. Although examples of self-fulfilling prophecies can be found in human literature as far back as ancient Greece and ancient India, it is 20th century sociologist Robert K. Merton who is credited with coining the expression "self-fulfilling prophecy" and formalising its structure and consequences. In his book Social Theory and Social Structure, Merton gives the following definition:

The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come true.
In other words, a false prophetic statement may affect humans (through fear or logical confusion) to take actions that will ultimately result in fulfillment of the prophecy.

Answer 2

You take a course in school because it it required. You say, it is too hard, I know I can't do it, I will fail.

As a result, you don't even try ...and you fail.

A self-fulfilling prophecy.

Answer 3

when a mother attempts to correct and disipline achild by shouting at him 'stop beign naughty!'
the child will assume the label naughty onto him and act that way.

on the other hand if u tell the child.'why are misbehaving u are supposed to be a good boy'the child will ful fill the sel fulfilling prophecy and behave as a good boy

Answer 4

i'd continually ask your self about those human beings that do not be counted on astrology and the way it impacts them. i understand lots of none believers and yet they nonetheless have the tell tell traits of their symptoms. i imagine that in relation to astrology, it does no longer do skeptics any sturdy to in reality study those that be counted on it besides the undeniable fact that it would want to educate so a lot extra to concentration specially on those that do not. i wager what i'm attempting to assert is that if the guidelines of astrology might want to be considered in human beings that do not even be counted on it then it would want to't be powerful in reality because of self-satisfying prophecies.

Answer 5

Example: I have a test tomorrow I think I'll be sick. Then the person wills him/herself sick that day. They will be sick. It's too bad we can't say I will win the lotto and have it happen.

Answer 6

An example would be when a person says "I always get sick in January" & they get sick in January.