Self-fulfilling prophecy

[Dionysus]

Several people in the past has told Johnny or Jane that they were dumb, ugly, overweight, unsophisticated, etc. John and Jane has been victims of racism, sexism, and you name it -ism.

So every situation John and Jane find themselves in they've been accused of being ________ and they often find themselves being victims of _____ism.

How much do you believe that people are out to get other people? And, how of this do you think is just SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY?

[Betarulz!]

Self fulfilling prophecies are a very real phenomenon (sp?) I know that there are more than several studies done by sociologists adn phychologists of their validity.

If you are looking for something, aren't you more likely to find? And if you're looking for it, then when you don't find it you are more likely to twist experiences to make them fit what you think will happen.

Sometimes the person who is really changed by it won't even know that they are fulfilling someone elses prophecy. Perfect example is a study (done by who I can't remember right now...stupid studying for a history final) in which the researchers randomly selected students to call "gifted" and then told their teachers that they were. Those students who had been average before all of a sudden started getting better grades, fulfilling the teachers prophecy. (This also demonstrates that teachers teach differently to students they think are gifted).

[Lady Pi Phi]

I read that same study in my psychology class. I can't remember who it was by either. But I think that people tend to fall into others expectations...if I am making myself clear. This was discussed in my highschool sociology class as well. If a person is repeatedly called stupid then they tend to think that they are stupid.