The Pygmalion Effect is a phenomenon where higher expectations lead to an increase in performance. This can be illustrated through a cycle: OUR EXPECTATIONS about another person’s abilities influence OUR ACTIONS toward that person. Our actions then affect the other person’s self-image. This self-image impacts the other person’s actions toward us, which in turn confirms our expectations. This cycle continues perpetually.
Example: Expectations in a Basketball Team
Imagine you are the coach of a basketball team observing your players on the first day. Chris and Joe are new members. Chris reminds you of a famous player, while Joe reminds you of an annoying boy from your school days. Your expectations for them form subconsciously.
These expectations then influence YOUR ACTIONS:
- When Chris steps onto the field, you are excited to see him. You encourage him to improve, practice harder, and put in an extra hour of training. When he makes a mistake, you explain how he can get better.
- When Joe comes in, you barely notice him. You’re glad when he scores, but you don’t provide much feedback or invest additional time in his training. When Joe makes a mistake, you feel slightly annoyed.
Your actions impact THE SELF-IMAGE OF OTHERS:
- Chris feels appreciated by you and, in turn, appreciates you. He believes in his success.
- Joe feels that you have little patience and appreciation for him. He starts doubting his success.
Their self-belief influences THEIR ACTIONS toward you:
- Chris enjoys playing more and never misses a training session. He gives 100% during games.
- Joe finds less joy in playing, doesn’t give his full effort, and begins to miss training sessions.
Which reinforces YOUR EXPECTATIONS about them:
- You see how much Chris enjoys playing, how hard he trains, and how quickly he improves.
- Joe, on the other hand, appears less motivated, doesn’t improve much, and attends training less frequently.
You feel justified in your initial instincts. The Pygmalion Effect is also known as the Rosenthal Effect, named after a study by Robert Rosenthal at Harvard.
The Rosenthal Experiment
In an initial study, Rosenthal challenged participants to guide rats through a maze as trainers. One group was told their rats were exceptionally intelligent and specially trained, while the other group was told their rats were “dumb.” In reality, all the rats were the same. However, the “intelligent” rats performed better than the “dumb” ones, demonstrating how the trainers’ expectations affected even the performance of rats.
Rosenthal then conducted the “Pygmalion in the Classroom” study with Lenore Jacobson:
- At the start of the school year, a group of elementary school teachers was told that some of their new students had exceptional talent and potential. This information was entirely fabricated and randomly assigned to average students in each class.
- All students had taken an IQ test beforehand. By the end of the year, the students labeled as more talented showed significant improvement in their IQ test performance compared to the rest of the class.
Rosenthal concluded: “When we expect certain behaviors of others, we are likely to act in ways that make the expected behavior more likely to occur.”