Page 10 - TPGFBAO First Draft (5th Ed)
P. 10
Self Fulfilling Prophecy
(Pygmalion Research - 1968)
The original research of Rosenthal and Jacobson focused on an experiment
at an elementary school where students took intelligence pre-tests.Rosenthal
and Jacobson then informed the teachers of the names of twenty percent of
the students in the school who were showing “unusual potential for intellec-
tual growth” and would bloom academically within the year.
Unknown to the teachers, these students were selected randomly with no re-
lation to the initial test.When Rosenthal and Jacobson tested the students
eight months later, they discovered that the randomly selected students who
teachers thought would bloom scored significantly higher.
Higher expectations of teachers induced higher performance. This showed
the immense power of the ‘self fulfilling prophecy’. This logic of ‘self ful-
filling prophecy’ applies almost universally. High expectations induce high
performance, while low expectations induce low performance.
Let us note some facts.
Fact #1 - It is very difficult to form an accurate clear self concept.
Fact #2 - Human capacity for growth is unlimited.
Fact #3 - By being proactive we can unlearn poor habits and learn good
habits and, thus change our personalities for the better.
Keeping the above knowledge in mind, can we now formulate the answer to
the question — “Who am I?”
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