Social Class Differences - Internal Factors - Self-fulfilling Prophecy Flashcards
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true simply by it being made.
What are the steps of a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Step 1) teacher labels the student and makes predictions about them.
Step 2) teacher treats the pupil accordingly, acting as if the prediction is already true.
Step 3) the pupil internalises the teacher’s expectations and it becomes part of their self-concept/self-image. So they become the type of pupil the teacher believed them to be. They may gain confidence, try harder, results in success.
- prediction is fulfilled.
What did Rosenthal and Jacobson say about self-fulfilling prophecy?
Rosenthal and Jacobson carried out a study at a Californian primary school (Oak community school). They told the school that they had found a new test that was able to identify those pupils who would ‘spurt’ ahead (this was untrue). The test was actually a standard IQ test.
They picked a random sample of 20% of students and identified them as ‘spurters’. A year later, they found that 47% of those identified spurters had made significant progress (the effect was greater in young children).
They suggest that the teacher’s beliefs about the children had been influenced by the supposed test results. The teaches would interact with the children differently, through their body language, amount of attention and the encouragement they gave them. The teachers had expected the prediction.
