What We Expect from Life, Ourselves, and Others? Why?

Have you ever overlooked something right in front of you because you thought it couldn't possibly be there? When you're busy and worried that something might go wrong, do you find that problems keep piling up? Have you ever woken up with a frustrating pimple just before an important meeting and thought, “My worst fear has happened, something's in my eye!”

While some people might say this is just bad luck, let’s explore a different viewpoint in this article. Beyond these everyday examples, can the mindset of “expecting something to happen” truly influence our lives, and can we understand it through science?

This article will address these questions while also examining the idea of “expectation,” which is about what we believe will happen in different situations. Additionally, we’ll look at the relationship between our expectations and our lives by considering how our past, present, and future shape these beliefs.

The Pygmalion Effect (also known as the Rosenthal Effect) and Self-Fulfilling Prophecy The Pygmalion effect describes how expectations between people can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

For instance, if a leader believes positively in their team members' abilities, this can actually lead to improved team performance. Conversely, when team members believe positively in their leader, it can enhance the leader's performance as well.

The Pygmalion effect, first studied by psychologist Robert Rosenthal with elementary school students, shows a straightforward way to boost performance in classrooms, workplaces, the military, and more. This effect has been explored in various settings, including businesses, court cases, and nursing homes.

Findings from these contexts have indicated that increasing leaders’ expectations can improve organizational success, that juries might be more likely to find a defendant guilty if judges expect guilt, and that boosting caregivers' expectations can help reduce depression levels in nursing home residents.

How Does the Pygmalion Effect Work? The way this effect functions can be simply understood: our beliefs and expectations influence our behavior, often below our conscious awareness.

As a result, what we expect can become reality, acting like a prophecy. This is where the idea of a self-fulfilling prophecy comes into play.

---