Pygmalion Effect: Definition & Examples

Pygmalion in the Classroom (1968) is a landmark sociological and psychological study conducted by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson.

The experiment investigated how labeling and self-fulfilling prophecies impact student performance.

The Experiment Design

The study was conducted at a California elementary school to test the hypothesis that teacher expectations can induce performance gains even when those expectations are based on false information.

• The Deception: Researchers administered an IQ examination to all students but misled teachers by claiming the test was a specialized tool used to identify “intellectual bloomers”, students with high academic potential.

• Random Selection: The researchers ignored the actual test results. Instead, they used a table of random numbers to select approximately 20% of the student population.

• Prediction: They provided the names of these students to the teachers, identifying them as the “bloomers” who would show dramatic intellectual growth in the coming year.

• The Reality: There was no actual difference in potential between the “bloomers” and their peers; the distinction existed solely as a label in the minds of the teachers.

Findings and Mechanisms

At the end of the school year, all students retook the test.

The results supported the existence of a self-fulfilling prophecy, an idea that becomes true because it is acted upon.

• IQ Gains: The students arbitrarily labeled as “bloomers” made significantly greater progress in IQ scores than the remaining 80% of the student body. The “blooming” group saw an average 12-point gain compared to an 8-point gain for the rest of the class.

• Age Significance: The effect was most pronounced among the youngest children. First graders in the experimental group gained over 27 IQ points (compared to 12 for the control), and second graders gained 16.5 points (compared to 7).

• The Psychological Mechanism: Rosenthal concluded that inconspicuous factors such as teacher attitude, mood, and subtle behavioral changes impact outcomes.

• Subtle Treatment: Teachers socialized these students into “high-achiever” roles by providing in-depth feedback and bestowing more attention upon them.

Criticisms 

• Efficacy of Testing: The reliability of IQ tests has been frequently challenged as being culturally biased rather than a measure of natural intelligence.

• Individual Susceptibility: Not all people are equally susceptible to labeling; highly individualistic persons may care less about external expectations.

• Replication: Later research has produced mixed results regarding the significance of labeling.

• Deception: Researchers intentionally misled teachers regarding the purpose and nature of the testing administered to their students. The teachers were falsely told that a standard IQ examination was a specialized tool capable of predicting which students were “intellectual bloomers” with high academic potential.

Examples

The “Ideal Pupil” and Social Class (Howard Becker, 1971)

Sociologist Howard Becker provided an example of how the Pygmalion Effect operates based on social class stereotypes rather than test scores.

• The Expectation: Through interviews with 60 Chicago teachers, Becker found that teachers operated with a mental image of the “ideal pupil,” whom they perceived as white, middle-class, and female.
• The Interaction: Teachers perceived working-class students as furthest from this ideal, viewing them as difficult to control and lacking motivation. Consequently, teachers lowered their standards for these students, deciding to “just try to get some basic things over to them” rather than pushing them to excel.
• The Result: Middle-class students, receiving positive reinforcement and higher expectations, developed positive self-images and worked harder. Working-class students, receiving negative feedback, became demotivated and performed poorly, confirming the teachers’ initial low expectations.

Gender

The Pygmalion Effect has historically played a role in gender socialization.

Studies have shown that teachers often devoted more time and attention to boys, asking them more questions and praising them more frequently.

This differential treatment can signal to girls that they are less suited for subjects like math and science, potentially dampening their competitiveness and shaping their future career choices.

Kindergarten Labeling (Ray Rist, 1970)

Ray Rist’s study of a kindergarten class provides a specific example of how early labeling creates a trajectory of achievement or failure.

• The Grouping: By the eighth day of school, the teacher had divided the children into three tables. This decision was based not on ability tests, but on the teacher’s judgment of the children’s appearance and home background,.
• The Treatment:
  • The “Tigers”: This table consisted of middle-class, neat-appearing children. They were seated closest to the teacher and received the most encouragement and high-level instruction.
  • The “Cardinals” and “Clowns”: These tables were comprised of working-class children. They were seated further away, given lower-level books, and received less attention.
• The Prophecy: These initial labels fixed the children’s academic path. As they moved into subsequent years, the “Tigers” continued to be seen as high achievers, while the “Clowns” remained in lower groups, fulfilling the teacher’s initial, subjective assessment.

Race

The effect also applies to race. Teachers may unconsciously condition themselves to view certain minority groups as less motivated or more threatening.

For instance, research has shown that teachers may underestimate the academic ability of African-Caribbean pupils or view their behavior as aggressive, leading to lower academic placement and achievement.

Stereotype Promise (Asian American Students)

A positive example of the Pygmalion Effect, termed “stereotype promise,” is observed in the treatment of Asian American students.

• The Stereotype: Jennifer Lee and Min Zhou (2014) found that teachers often hold the positive stereotype that Asian American students are part of a “model minority” and are innately high achievers.
• The Effect: Because of this label, these students are more likely to be placed in Advanced Placement (AP) classes, receive higher grades, and be treated favorably by teachers. This positive treatment can boost the performance of average students, leading them to outperform their actual prior potential.

Gender and “Invisibility”

Research by Spender (1983) provides examples of how the Pygmalion Effect can disadvantage girls.

• The Expectation: Teachers were found to ask boys more questions, give them more feedback, and expect them to have careers, while underestimating the ambitions of girls,.
• The Result: Even bright girls were often described as likely to become “personal assistants” rather than leaders. Consequently, girls became “invisible” in the classroom, blending into the background and lowering their own academic assertiveness to match the lower expectations placed upon them.