What is the Pygmalion effect?

**Joseph Chance** (0:04)
What is the Pygmalion Effect?
Thanks for asking.
Have you ever wondered how our expectations can impact the way we perceive and interact with others? Well, it's actually been demonstrated that beliefs and attitudes can lead to outcomes that align with those beliefs, due to what's known as the Pygmalion Effect. 20th century American psychologist Robert Rosenthal coined the term in his 1968 book, Pygmalion in the Classroom, Teacher Expectation and Pupils Intellectual Development. He had teamed up with San Francisco Elementary School Principal, Lenore Jacobson, to conduct a groundbreaking experiment. It showed that the behavior and attitude of teachers could actually influence their students' achievements. Where does the name come from? In ancient Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a skilled artist who created a statue of a woman that was so beautiful and lifelike that he fell in love with it. The myth takes a magical turn when Aphrodite, the goddess of love, takes pity on Pygmalion's unrequited love and brings the statue to life. The story is an early literary representation of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Pygmalion Effect is also known as the Rosenthal Effect, due to the works of Robert Rosenthal in theorizing it. What did Rosenthal and Jacobson's experiment consist of? At the start of the school year, teachers at Jacobson's school were told that some of their pupils had displayed exceptional intellectual potential on an IQ test. In reality though, those pupils had simply been drawn through random number selection. At the end of the school year, pupils had their IQ tested again. It emerged that there was a correlation between those whose IQ had improved the most, and those who had been randomly designated as having the highest intellectual growth potential at the start of the study. The Pygmalion Effect experiment showcased the power of expectations. When teachers believed in the potential of certain students, their behaviours and attitudes unknowingly influenced those students' achievements. The flip side is of course that if teachers were led to expect lower performance from certain children, then those children's performance would be diminished. The Pygmalion Effect study was actually inspired by another experiment organized by Robert Rosenthal several years prior involving rats.
What's the significance of all this? The Pygmalion Effect serves as a critical reminder of the responsibilities we hold in shaping the lives of others. In educational settings, teachers and mentors can harness the positive aspect of this phenomenon by instilling confidence and high expectations in all students, thereby enhancing their potential. And for those of us who aren't school teachers, we should keep in mind the profound influence that our preconceived notions can have on actual outcomes. In the workplace, for example, employees who feel trusted and valued are more likely to work hard and deliver results. That's something you managers would do well to remember. The Pygmalion Effect applies in personal relationships and self-development too. When we have positive expectations of our friends, family members or partners, it can lead to healthier interactions and support. Likewise, when we believe in our own abilities and set ourselves high goals, we're more likely to work diligently to achieve them than if we have self-doubt.
There you have it.
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