The Pygmalion effect is when the expected behavior of someone conditions the result, it means that the expectations you have on someone in certain aspect or in doing an specific task, influence in that person for doing that task in the way you thought he would do it, and it’s not on propose, it is just that when you believe in someone abilities that person would fulfill the expectations you have on him, this is mostly unconsciously that’s why its an effect, also known as the self-fulfilling prophecy, that was “conceptualized by Robert Merton a professor of sociology at Columbia University. In a 1957 work called (social theory and social structure), Merton said the phenomenon occurs when a false definition of the situation evokes a new behavior which makes the original false conception come true”
Better management by perception (n.d) retrieved august 29, 2010, from
Examples of Pygmalion effect in racism
The Pygmalion effect can also result from racial expectations. This effect is seen during Jane Elliott’s blue-eyed versus brown-eyed discrimination exercise, where third graders were divided based on eye color. One group was given preference and regarded as "superior" because of their eye color, with the other group repeatedly being considered inferior in intelligence and learning ability. On the second day of the experiment, the groups were completely reversed, with those oppressed against one day being regarded as superior the next.
Elliott gave spelling tests to both groups on each day of the experiment. The students scored very low on the day they were racially "inferior" and very high on the day they were considered racially "superior."
retrieved august 29, 2010, from
Here is an interesting video about the topic
Hello Nicolas,
ResponderEliminarThe explanation of the effect is very clear, However, I think that the example you use is one of the best that I have read, after having developed a number of investigations on this subject, even I can not believe how important incentives are for a human beings.
I believe that we as future managers must learn to apply the Pygmalion effect within the organizations.