Surround Yourself With People Who Believe In You: Pygmalion Effect

Did you know that the way other people perceive us can have a significant impact on our performance?

This concept is known as the Pygmalion effect in psychology. It suggests that when others have high expectations of us, we tend to perform better, and when their expectations are low, our performance also tends to suffer.

So, it’s essential to be aware of this effect and strive to surround ourselves with people who believe in us and encourage us to reach our potential.

The Pygmalion effect was first studied intensively by behavioral psychologist Robert Rosenthal back in the 1960s. He conducted an experiment in a California elementary school.

He told teachers that certain students were considered “academic spurts” and who were expected to experience a significant boost in their intellectual growth in the upcoming academic year. He based the results of a IQ test.

The students who were selected for the study were chosen at random, and their test results were pretty much the same as their peers. So in the end, there wasn’t really any significant difference between them.

However, by the end of the year, these students showed greater progress and intellectual growth compared to their peers.

It all came down to the teachers’ expectations of their students, which had a significant impact on how they behaved, taught, and interacted with each other. As a result, it reflected on the performance of the students.

Here are some key points about the Pygmalion effect:

• Higher expectations lead to better performance.

When people expect you to succeed, they are more likely to provide you with support and encouragement. This can boost your confidence and motivation, leading to better results.

• Lower expectations can lead to worse performance.

If someone expects you to fail, they might not give you the help you need. This can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where you actually fail because you weren’t given the chance to succeed.

• Also, it’s important to be aware of your own expectations.

Our expectations of others can impact our interactions with them. If you believe someone is incompetent, you might treat them differently in a way that discourages them from putting in effort. Instead, approach these situations with empathy and support.

The Pygmalion effect is a powerful phenomenon that can have a big impact on our lives. By being aware of it, we can work to create positive expectations for ourselves and others 🙂

,abreijos