The Pygmalion effect refers to a psychological phenomenon where higher expectations lead to improved performance in others. First described by Rosenthal and Jacobson in 1968 [1], it gets its name from the Greek myth of Pygmalion, where a sculptor’s great expectations for his statue result in it coming to life. Essentially, when teachers or leaders expect more of others, those individuals perform better [2].
History of the Pygmalion Effect
Pygmalion, in the story, was a sculptor from Cyprus who ended up falling in love with an ivory statue of a woman he had made. Enamored by the statue’s beauty, he begs the gods for a wife resembling its likeness. The gods respond by granting Pygmalion’s request. The statue subsequently comes to life.
Centuries later, George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion would convey the point as well. In it, Liza explains: “the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how she behaves, but how she’s treated” [3]
She further points out: “I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will”.
How the Pygmalion Effect works
The operation of the Pygmalion effect, similar to that of a self-fulfilling prophecy, can be understood as progressing through 4 stages in a cyclical pattern:
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Others beliefs about us shape their conduct toward us.
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Their conduct toward us influences our beliefs about ourselves.
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These beliefs in turn, impact our actions toward others.
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Our actions toward others influence their beliefs about us, thereby returning us to the initial stage
The central idea behind the Pygmalion effect is that other’s expectations of us can eventually influence our behaviour in a significant way.
Anti-Pygmalion effect - A case study
I found an interesting paper published by Jie Chang about a case study called “A Case Study of the Pygmalion Effect: Teacher Expectations and Student Achievement” [4].
- Takeaway 1: The ‘You Get What You Expect’ Rule Is Surprisingly Real
The idea that expectations influence outcomes in the classroom is known as the “Pygmalion effect,” or the “Rosenthal effect.” This concept was cemented by a classic 1968 experiment conducted by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson. At the start of an academic year, they informed teachers that certain students, who were in fact chosen at random, were “intellectual bloomers” destined for great academic success.
The results were remarkable. By the end of the year, the students who had been labeled “bloomers” showed significantly higher gains than their peers. They gained an average of two IQ points in verbal ability, seven points in reasoning, and four points in overall IQ. This experiment provided clear proof that teacher expectations can work as a powerful self-fulfilling prophecy, directly influencing student achievement.
- Takeaway 2: The Negative Side Is Just as Potent
The Pygmalion effect isn’t just about the benefits of positive thinking; its negative counterpart is equally powerful. Researcher J. E. Brophy investigated the impact of negative expectations and found that they can be actively harmful to a student’s motivation and create genuinely disadvantageous learning conditions.
Brophy identified several concrete behaviors stemming from teachers low expectations that actively hinder student success. These include:
• Giving up easily on low-expectation students.
• Criticizing them more often for failure.
• Praising them less often following success.
• Seating them in the back of the room.
Just as high expectations can foster success, these behaviours demonstrate how low expectations can create an environment where students are systematically given fewer opportunities to thrive.
- Takeaway 3: The ‘Anti-Pygmalion Effect’ — When High Hopes Aren’t Enough
The power of expectation is not always straightforward. A landmark case study reveals a paradoxical outcome known as the “anti-Pygmalion-effect,” where positive teacher expectations can paradoxically lead to poor student achievement. The study followed 47 first-year thermodynamics majors enrolled in an English course and provides a crucial cautionary tale.
The teachers held three very positive expectations for this group:
1. They would have great interests and enhanced motivation.
2. They would demonstrate high autonomy in their online learning.
3. An overwhelming majority would pass their term examinations.
However, an interview revealed a major disconnect between these expectations and the students’ reality. Students reported a passive attitude toward online learning, citing barriers like traditional study habits, network instability, and low motivation. The statistics were stark: 50 percent of students only “sometimes” used the internet to study English, and a mere 9.6 percent “always” had a clear learning objective.
The results of the mid-term exam were shocking. The pass rate was only 48.94%, with an average score of just 68.83 out of 115, directly contradicting the teachers’ high hopes. One student’s feedback highlighted the core of the problem:
“I felt that the online English learning requirements are enforced on me.”
This failure occurred not in spite of high expectations, but because of them. The teachers’ belief in the students’ autonomy led them to design a course heavily reliant on an online learning model that required those exact traits. Because their initial judgment of the students’ readiness was wrong, the very system designed from a place of positive belief was completely misaligned with student reality and destined to fail. The study concluded it was a result of a “false judgment of students’ autonomy, enforcing (on-line) learning requirement and improper design of test papers.”
Conclusions
I found this concept very interesting and it can be seen and validated in many aspects on todays society.
The Pygmalion is not an effect that always happen give the correct circumstances like it was demonstrated by the Jie Chang study “Anti-Pygmalion effect. However, knowing the existence of such a psychological factor can enlightening us for some behaviours we observe on others or in ourselves and help us understand them.
“The visions we offer our children shape the future. It matters what those visions are. Often they become self-fulfilling prophecies. Dreams are maps.” - Carl Sagan
References
[1]: https://users.wfu.edu/gemmerj/files/S23/FYS/Pygmalion-in-the-Classroom.pdf
[2]: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/education/pygmalion-effect-rosenthal-effect