The Pygmalion Effect is where an individual’s performance is influenced by others’ expectations. In other words, higher expectations lead to higher performance. However, it is more relevant to how our expectations of others affect our behavior towards them. For example, school teacher Mrs. Dolety expects her student, Toby, to do well in the exams
Key Points
Our expectations can influence how we treat people, which in turn influence their own expectations of themselves
- Low expectations can mean we treat someone differently than those with high expectations
- A self-fullfilling prophecy can be created if we have low expectations and high expectations
Pygmalion Effect Examples
In Greek mythology, Lysander made a statue of his ideal woman, and once he kissed her, it is said she came to life and they lived together for the rest of their lives.
- Another example can be seen in baseball: the coach of a baseball team recruits two new players, Ryan and Sam, who are skinny and unimpressive. As the season starts, filled with confidence and guidance, Ryan hits his first home run and wins the team the game.
- While Sam is filled with dread and self-doubt
Be aware of expectations
The Pygmalion Effect is where our expectations of others affect our behavior towards them
- It is important to realize when we have different expectations and adjust our expectations accordingly
- Just being aware can help us proactively avoid negative actions
- Instead of spotting weaknesses in people, we can look at the positives and their potential
Positive Language
By complimenting others and identifying their strengths they have shown, we can create positive expectations for them. In turn, this can influence our own actions.
Pygmalion Effect Experiment
In 1964, Robert Rosenthal hypothesized that reality can be positively or negatively influenced by our expectations of others
- Rosenthal conducted his experiment in a single elementary school in California
- Each student took a test which was designed as a mock IQ test
- After the exam, the scores were not disclosed to the teachers, but they were told the names of the individual children who were said to be “intellectual bloomers”
- All students scored higher, but there was a notable increase in the test subjects who scored higher
- The intellectual bloomers made the most progress
Provide Feedback
Give the person a chance to improve, develop, and prove you wrong
- Examples: employee reviews or training, or one-on-one feedback
- Don’t be satisfied with “no feedback” – give them a shot and see what they can do to improve
How the Pygmalion Effect works
People’s beliefs and expectations affect their actions towards others
Pygmalion Effect in Business
Extends beyond the traditional classroom setting and into the business world
- Helps employees, students, and managers get the best out of each other
- A crucial part of the business setting and helping employees get the most out of their work
FAQs on the Pygmalion Effect
Psychological and self-fulfilling
- Once we have certain expectations of someone, we tend to reinforce these with our actions, whether consciously or sub-consciously
- In teaching, when teachers treat students differently because of their expectations
- For example, students with low expectations may receive less attention or less detailed feedback, while students with high expectations receive more detailed feedback
History of the Pygmalion Effect
The Rosenthal Effect is otherwise known as the Rosenthal Effect, but Rosenthal named the discovery after the mythological Greek sculpture Pyghmalion
Identify Positive Traits
If we can identify and communicate some positive traits, we may be able to lift expectations.
- In turn, these can drive others on and potentially reach their potential which we couldn’t previously envisage
- It is therefore important for us to identify those traits which we may overlook.
Create Challenges
Set tasks that you believe may be above your expectations of them and encourage them that they can do it.
- When high expectations are expected, we often do all we can to fulfill them. When we achieve a goal, we feel a sense of accomplishment and that can help employees reach their goals.
