The Power of Expectations: Understanding the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, Pygmalion, and Golem Effects

Reading time: 5 minutes

Have you ever felt empowered simply because someone believed in you? Or, conversely, found yourself underperforming when others seemed to expect little from you? These experiences aren’t just anecdotal, they are rooted in well-established psychological concepts known as self-fulfilling prophecies. At the heart of this phenomenon are two compelling effects: the Pygmalion effect and the Golem effect.

What Is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when an individual behaves in ways that align with others’ expectations of them, thereby causing those expectations to come true. In other words, what people expect of us can subtly influence our behavior, ultimately shaping outcomes. These dynamics play out in classrooms, workplaces, and social settings, often without conscious awareness.

The Pygmalion Effect: The Power of Positive Expectations

The Pygmalion effect, also known as the Rosenthal effect, refers to the phenomenon where higher expectations lead to an improvement in performance. A classic demonstration of this was conducted by psychologists Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson in 1968. In their study, elementary school teachers were told that certain students (randomly selected) had shown exceptional potential for intellectual growth based on a fictitious test. In reality, these students had no particular advantage.

However, eight months later, the “gifted” students showed significantly greater improvement on a subsequent IQ test. What changed was not the students themselves, but how their teachers treated them. Rosenthal and Jacobson identified four key ways in which teachers’ expectations shaped student outcomes:

• Warmer climate: Teachers were more encouraging and friendly toward the students they expected to excel, both verbally and nonverbally.
• More input: These students received more materials, more challenging tasks, and more learning opportunities.
• More response opportunities: Teachers engaged these students more often, gave them longer to respond, and helped guide them toward correct answers.
• More feedback: Students received more positive reinforcement and detailed feedback that supported their learning process.

This experiment illustrates how belief in someone’s potential can unlock it. In the workplace, similar dynamics can occur. If a manager genuinely believes in an employee’s abilities, they may provide more support, responsibility, and feedback, all of which can boost the employee’s performance and motivation.

The Golem Effect: The Cost of Low Expectations

In contrast, the Golem effect describes the negative side of this dynamic. When leaders, teachers, or peers hold low expectations, individuals often internalize these beliefs, which can hinder performance and engagement. Essentially, when people sense that others don’t believe in their potential, they may begin to doubt themselves, reduce their efforts, and ultimately perform worse, thus fulfilling the original negative expectation.

In organizational settings, this might manifest when a new employee is given fewer opportunities, less responsibility, or little constructive feedback because their manager doesn’t expect much from them. Over time, this lack of support can lead to:

• Lower self-confidence
• Reduced job performance
• Poor job satisfaction
• Greater risk of burnout
• Withdrawal from work-related activities

The Feedback Loop Between Expectations and Performance

Both the Pygmalion and Golem effects highlight the interactive and cyclical nature of human behavior. Expectations influence behavior, which in turn shapes outcomes, which then reinforce the original expectations – forming a feedback loop. For example:

1. A manager expects high performance.
2. The manager treats the employee with greater respect and provides better resources.
3. The employee feels valued, works harder, and performs well.
4. The manager’s expectations are confirmed and further reinforced.

Or, in the Golem scenario:

1. A manager expects low performance.
2. The manager invests less time and support in the employee.
3. The employee feels neglected or incompetent, loses motivation, and underperforms.
4. The manager’s low expectations are confirmed.

Why This Matters

Understanding the Pygmalion and Golem effects is crucial not only for psychology students but for anyone entering leadership, education, or team-based professions. Our expectations, even when unspoken, shape the reality around us. Being aware of this can help us foster more supportive environments, empower others, and reflect critically on our own assumptions.

Mila Tončić

mila.toncic01@icatt.it

References:

Brophy, J. (1983). Research on the self-fulfilling prophecy and teacher expectations. Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(5), 631–661. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.75.5.631

Dvir, T., Eden, D., Avolio, B. J., & Shamir, B. (2002). Impact of transformational leadership on follower development and performance: A field study. Academy of Management Journal, 45(4), 735–744. https://doi.org/10.5465/3069307

Jussim, L., & Harber, K. D. (2005). Teacher expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies: Knowns and unknowns, resolved and unresolved controversies. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 9(2), 131–155. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0902_3

McNatt, D. B. (2000). Ancient Pygmalion joins contemporary management: A meta-analysis of the result. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(2), 314–322. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.85.2.314

Rosenthal, R., & Jacobson, L. (1968). Pygmalion in the classroom: Teacher expectation and pupils’ intellectual development. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.