Pygmalion Effect On Children

Pygmalion effect on children

Introduction.

The pigmalion effect is long known in the world of social sciences; whose theory is that expectations can influence and modify behavior. When these expectations are positive, it will be positively reflected in behavior. But what happens if expectations are negative?, Can the pigmalion effect on children generate damages?.

Developing.

What is the pigmalion effect?

The pigmalion effect owes its name to mythology; Specifically, of the Greek king who ended up falling in love with a statue that he himself ordered to build and that the gods decide to give him life. The psychologist Robert Rosenthal, includes this myth to refer to those consequences that, product of our expectations, finally end up becoming themselves. 

That is, it consists of the idea that our expectations can influence others, reaching the possibility that they come true. It is intimately related to self-fulfilling prophecy, which refers to our beliefs can lead us to behave in a certain way to finally enforce these beliefs.

‘The conclusion is that if we expect certain behaviors of people, we treat them differently, and it is likely that the treatment affects their behavior’ -Robert Rosenthal-

The relationship between the Pygmalion and Education effect

In 1968, Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobsen conducted a study that showed that the fact that teachers show positive expectations towards their students, favorably influenced the academic performance of these.

That is, if teachers encourage their students and provide positive comments, they will cause students to get better notes.

However, what happens when students receive negative comments? According to Jesús Beltrán, when expectations are negative they can seriously compromise the school’s school career; affecting your self – esteem and motivation.

What are the damages of the pigmalion effect on children?

Children develop and make up their self-concept based on the opinions they receive from others. As explained by psychologist Alba G. Barrera, a child is forming the concept of his own; based on the expectations and valuations he receives from his parents, his grandparents, his uncles and, indeed, of his teachers.

When a child receives comments such as ‘you are a vague’ ‘how you do not study you will not get anything in life’, she will hardly understand them as a constructive criticism. Rather, he will perceive it as a qualification, since this type of opinions directly allude to his personality and identity.

According to this, if parents or teachers maintain negative expectations about children, we will negatively influence not only at the academic level, but also on a personal level. These are some of the damages that can cause the pigmalion effect on children:

Negative configuration of your self-concept. The fact that adults stands out more frequently the defects of children than their virtues, will cause the child to assume that what defines him, what distinguishes him from others, are those negative aspects.

Its self – esteem will decrease. Again barrier reviews that children are vulnerable to the influence that others can exert on them; So it is easy for children’s self-confidence to be affected. Will influence your perception of what you can do. As the pigmalion effect plasma, the expectations we deposit in children will influence their self-perception. Therefore, our opinion will condition the vision that children have about what they consider to be able to do.

Conclusions.

The pigmalion effect and its relationship with success

If we tell our children or our students that we have confidence in their skills and abilities, they will be reinforced and will gather the necessary motivation to achieve what they propose; which will increase the chances of achieving it. This does not mean that you do not have to show children to be wrong and that they should try more: it is about knowing that their skills and abilities are valid, which requires confidence.