SHARON ROBERT’S CORNER: The Pygmalion Effect

The phrase "expect more, you'll get more" suggests that having high expectations for yourself will result in more motivation to achieve better results. Is this true if someone else expects more from you ? The answer is yes, according to the Pygmalion Effect theory.

The Pygmalion effect is a psychological phenomenon when higher expectations from teachers, managers, or others can lead to improved performance in those being observed.  In fact, there was a study done by psychologists Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson. They conducted a famous experiment where teachers were told that certain students (chosen at random) were expected to be "intellectual bloomers" based on an imaginary test. In reality, these students were randomly selected. At the end of the year, those students showed significant academic improvement compared to their peers, demonstrating how teachers' higher expectations positively influenced student performance.

This theory works in a loop and is based upon the principle that: 

1:  Other people’s beliefs about us influence their actions toward us (positive or negative).

2:  These actions towards us influence and reinforce our beliefs about ourselves.

3:  Our beliefs about ourselves influence our actions toward others.

Reflection: Does the learning disability label affect the perception the teacher has toward your child positively or negatively?

Sharon Roberts: https://dyslexia.ca/about/