Self Fulfilling Propheccy Flashcards
(10 cards)
What is self fulfilling prophecy
Process of expectation or beliefs lead to its own fulfilment. When individuals labelled a certain way, especially negatively, they may internalise that label altering their behaviour to go with it. Over time can reinforce criminal identity, particularly in vulnerable
Mechanism of self fulfilling prophecy
- Label assigned ‘trouble maker’
- Different treatment, ie teacher, peers, police may trust less be weary of
- Internalise- accepts label as part of identity
- Behaves
what did Rosenthal & Jacobson (1968) do
Told teachers some pupils were “intellectual bloomers” based on random selection. After a year, those pupils showed greater academic improvement, showing how teacher expectations affect outcomes. Demonstrates the SFP in action.
self fulfilling prophecy: Madon et al. (2003)
Mothers’ false expectations about their children’s drinking were predictive of actual later alcohol use. Suggests that parental labelling can influence behavioural development.
Jahoda (1954) SFP
Among Ashanti people, boys are named based on their birth day, which carries personality expectations. Wednesday-born boys (seen as aggressive) were three times more likely to be convicted of violent offences than Monday-born boys. Illustrates cultural reinforcement of SFP.
strength of sfp in explaining crime
Explains continuation of deviant behaviour: Especially useful in understanding youth offending and recidivism.
strength of validity of SFP
Empirical support from education and cultural studies
strength in appplication of SFP
Can inform preventative strategies—e.g., avoiding criminal labelling, promoting restorative justice.
weakness of SFP (determ..)
Deterministic: Assumes individuals passively accept labels; ignores free will and resilience.
SFP weakness correlation causation
Hard to disentangle cause and effect—do people act criminally because of the label, or are they labelled because of their behaviour?
