Pygmalion << pihg MAY lee uhn >> effect is the idea that expectations can lead a person to perform in a way consistent with those expectations. It is an important idea in psychology , the scientific study of mental processes and behavior . The Pygmalion effect is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy, an expectation that can lead to its own fulfillment. The effect is named after Pygmalion of Greek mythology . Pygmalion was a sculptor who carved a statue of a beautiful woman and then fell in love with it. His intense love for the statue inspired the gods to bring it to life.
The Pygmalion effect has been most dramatically demonstrated in the classroom. In a published study called Pygmalion in the Classroom (1968), researchers showed that teacher expectations influenced student performance. In that study, teachers in an elementary school were told at the beginning of the term that certain students—but not others—were on the verge of accelerated intellectual improvement. The teachers were told that these expectations were based on an intelligence test, but in fact they were assigned randomly. At the end of the school year, the students identified for an intellectual leap showed significant improvement in real tests of intelligence compared with other students.
Psychologists are interested in understanding how teacher expectations were transformed into reality in the Pygmalion experiment. They believe that the effect involves subtle, hidden interaction. A teacher’s initial impression of a student may alter the teacher’s subsequent behavior in ways that are consistent with that impression. For example, if the initial expectation is high, the teacher may offer more attention and more positive feedback. This behavior, in turn, may improve the student’s motivation and energy. In addition, a teacher’s expectation may bias their perceptions in such a way that the teacher selectively pays attention to aspects of student behavior that are consistent with that expectation. The teacher may selectively ignore inconsistent behavior. These biases may result in a perceived fulfillment of their initial expectations.
Negative expectations can also lead to negative outcomes. This particular aspect of the Pygmalion effect is sometimes called the golem effect. It is named after the golem of Jewish folklore, a sculpture is brought to life by its master but descends into causing trouble. Conversely, when positive expectations result in a positive outcome, it is sometimes referred to as the Galatea effect. Galatea was the name of the woman who was brought to life from Pygmalion’s sculpture.
