SelfFulfilling Prophecy Defined The process by which a

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy • Defined -- The process by which a person’s expectations about someone can lead to that someone behaving in ways which confirm the expectations • Pygmalion in the Classroom -- Research by Rosenthal and Jacobson • Attractiveness in the beholder’s eye -Research by Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid

How Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Works Perceiver forms impressions Target adjust s behavior to match perceiver’s actions Perceiver treats target differently than others

Confirmatory Bias • Defined -- The tendency to seek, interpret, and create information that verifies existing beliefs • Seeking information -- Snyder and Swann research on interviewing introand extro- verts • Interpreting information -- the case of Hannah

The Function of Expectations • • Add stability to perceptual world Permit economy of effort Give us good enough accuracy Allow attention to focus on new information

Forming Stereotypes • Learning to stereotype – putting people in to pigeon holes – if you see one pigeon, you’ve seen them all • The belief - congruence theory – assume that those who appear different have different values

When and Why We Stereotype • • Superficial contact Ego-defensive purpose Instrumental to goals Dysfunctionality of stereotypes

Applications in the Organization • Performance appraisals – attribution bias – confirmatory bias – recency effects • Impression management – self promotion – conforming to norms – flattery

Summing Up • From confirming our impressions and beliefs • To influencing others’ behavior through self-fulfilling prophecies • To looking at how stereotypes form and persist • To exploring two applications in the organization

Next Time • The role of abilities and personalities in the organization