Pygmalion effect: how expectations change reality

Effect Pygmalion, Rosenthal or experimenter bias - different names for the same psychological phenomenon related to self-fulfilling prophecies. The essence of the effect is that a person's expectations determine its validity.

Patrimony

Psychologist Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson, conducted an experiment: they are isolated from different students at the beginning of the school year grades of primary school, which according to the results of the test were more talented and possessed higher the IQ, than their classmates. In fact, any outstanding abilities they have been detected and the students were chosen randomly, but teachers reported the opposite. Re-testing at the end of the year showed that the results of the "gifted" students on average have improved and increased IQ score.

According to psychologists, the high expectations of teachers impacted on student progress.

Teachers, expecting good results, approach to teaching a select group of another, allowing more freedom of creativity and trying

inspire students. Rosenthal and Jacobson attributed this phenomenon to the effect of Pygmalion.

Another example from the history that precedes experiment Rosenthal - Smart Ganz horse, owned by a teacher and breeder William von Austin. Animal answer questions hooves up to 90%. Horse added, multiplied, and call time and date. Naturally, this caused interest not only idlers, but also psychologists.

Psychologist and biologist Oscar Pfungst came personally acquainted with Ganz. It turned out that the animal not only understands human speech, but is not able to perform mathematical calculations. So how to get the 90% accuracy of the answers? The fact that the host and the audience was served non-verbal signals when Ganz gave the correct answer. Pfungst found that as soon as Ganz reached the correct answer, the questioner lowered his head. And if the horse were put on blinders, he was wrong.

The operating principle of Pygmalion effect

The fact is that our brain is hard to distinguish the perception and expectation. Sociologist Robert Merton described the self-fulfilling prophecy, which include the effect of Pygmalion as self-hypnosis. Having initially belief about themselves or others, we influence reality and makes it so that it becomes the truth. This psychological phenomenon allows purposefully or inadvertently affect the reality.

Another experimentBelieving Another Likes or Dislikes You. Behaviors Making the Beliefs Come TrueConducted by Rebecca Curtis and Kim Miller, confirms this. The two groups of students were grouped into pairs. Participants in one group invested in the head deliberately false statement that they are nice to your partner, and the other participants - the opposite. Thereafter pairs suggested communicate. And the result has justified itself.

Students who believe that likeable partner, were more compliant in the conversation, go to the contact, and the manner of communication has been more pleasant than those couples who think differently.

In addition, students who thought like a partner, really secured more sympathetic than the members of the opposing pairs.

Surely you are not just exposed to the effect of Pygmalion, without even noticing. For example, thinking that can not cope with a certain task, we lose heart and our behavior and actions lead to a real failure. In the opposite situation, if you are waiting on the solution of the problem, suggesting that all will turn out, and you can do it, the action and the result will be different.

Pygmalion effect in practice

In fact, the effect of Pygmalion - the secret weapon in the field of management. People's expectations have an impact on our actions, thoughts, Perception of opportunities and achievements. John Sterling Livingston, professor of Harvard Business School, founder of the Institute of Management of logistics to the US Department of Defense, expressed his opinionPygmalion in Management about the effect of Pygmalion in management. In his work, he developed the idea of ​​the impact of the actions and expectations of results, focusing on the expectations of leaders from subordinates.

If the head of the high expectations in respect of their subordinates, the productivity is high. If the expectations are low and productivity is reduced.

John Sterling Livingston, professor of Harvard Business School, founder of the Institute of Management of logistics to the US Department of Defense

Livingstone believed that leaders You need to understand how the Pygmalion effect, because of the expectations of managers are directly dependent on the results of the staff. A good leader, according to Livingstone, should be high expectations, while an inefficient manager is not capable. He spent the relationship between self-esteem and expectations of the head, which he shows to subordinates. Confident manager is inclined to expect from high performance employees, while poor manager less confident and even more can not hope to get away from something workers supernatural.

To convert the result of expectations in the first place should be achievable and realistic.

If subordinates do not meet the expectations of the authorities, who are close to their own, performance and desire for success are reduced.

John Sterling Livingston, professor of Harvard Business School, founder of the Institute of Management of logistics to the US Department of Defense

Statement of transcendental goals that the employee can not perform physically, not only will not help to improve the productivity and reduce the efficiency of work at all.

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