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Origins in Mythology and Literature
Origins in Mythology and Literature
it, is a theory teaching that people will act or behave in the way that others expect them to. It is very similar to the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The effect has both positive and negative outcomes a person expected by his or her superiors to succeed will, but the opposite is also usually true. Most of the time, these expectations are not openly discussed. They are communicated passively through things like word choice or body language. The effect is most commonly discussed in terms of education and the workplace, but can also take hold in individuals.
and qualities will usually fulfill his expectations. He will never achieve his true potential but will confine himself within his own self-imposed limitations. People who tend to have a positive selfimage and believe they are capable of achieving anything they set out to achieve are usually more likely to do so. Strategic Use Psychologists often teach individual patients, teachers, and business leaders to strategically use the Pygmalion effect to encourage success and positive thinking. By forcing oneself to set high expectations for others, the theory goes, one can actually help drive achievement and success that might not have been achieved all on its own. This sort of strategy is related to concepts like positive thinking and positive visualization, but goes a step farther in that it is usually meant to actually manifest in relationships and interactions with others.