Have you ever received extra support from a teacher or coach who believed you were born to be successful? And did this person's expectations（期待） and actions give you the confidence you needed to succeed? If so, then you've learned the Pygmalion effect（皮格马利翁效应）.
The Pygmalion effect means expectations will influence a person's performance（表现）. He found that when teachers told a student he or she had a gift in Chinese or Chemistry, the student would act better on tests than those who were not told so.
The idea behind the Pygmalion effect is that people rise or fall to reach the expectations set for them. When someone is expected to be perfect, they are more likely to get the resources they need to succeed. On the other hand, when someone is thought as less capable（能力不足）, they may miss a lot of chances and resources, which can result in poorer performance and less success.
This effect can be seen in different environment. In the workplace, managers who have high expectations of their workers will be more supportive and provide better chances for their growth and development. Similarly, coaches are more willing to spend extra time with athletes who they consider gifted. The extra attention helps these athletes to spend more time practising their skills, so they improve faster than the other athletes. In both cases, the key is not only to have high expectations but also to communicate those expectations and create a suitable environment.
And we people can use this effect in our own lives by keeping high expectations for ourselves and those around us.
A. Finally the effect becomes a kind of circle. B. This can lead to better performance and greater success. C. To get better results, extra time and hard work are especially needed. D. It's no surprise that such an environment leads to better work performance. E. It may be hard for these people to be influenced and change their bad behavior. F. This effect was found by Robert Rosentha in study "Pygmalion in the Classroom" in 1968. G. By setting expectations and giving support, teachers can use the effect to help more students. |
