Self-Fulfilling Prophecy And Stereotype Threat Summary

The Relationship Between the Self Fulfilling Prophecy and Stereotype Threat

Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jackson’s self-fulfilling prophecy is a component of the stereotype threat that Claude M. Steele discusses in his 1997 article. Under the self-fulfilling prophecy, teachers treat students based on their expectations of the student’s level of success. The students then meet those expectations, thus adhering to the self-fulfilling prophecy. The stereotype threat expands that idea further as it looks at how even though people may have the ability to do well, the stereotype placed on them can hinder their ability to succeed. The stereotype threat states that a person has the ability to break free from expectations, giving it a perspective

In this category, society views the person negatively since they failed to live up to the high expectations. Similarly, children who have a positive self-fulfilling prophecy placed on them can fail to fulfill the prophecy and also be viewed negatively. A person’s failure to conform to what may seem like a positive stereotype can allow the person to deny the potentially harmful effects of the stereotype. However, this does not disband the stereotype entirely. The response to the stereotype also has the possibility to be a conscious choice, since adults are more aware of their stereotypes, while children have less self-awareness of the influences to which they fall victim. People who actively reject a stereotype thus differ from children whose ability simply wasn’t on par with the

In doing so, a person must not only do better than their negative stereotype, but also better than a majority of their peers. Those who break a stereotype may be able to prove their self-worth and lessen a stereotype placed upon their group. However, they may also experience the same effects as those who adhere to a positive stereotype; they must constantly rise above in order to maintain their status. Even when a bad stereotype has been disproved in a certain situation, people who have not witnessed the person’s success may still stereotype them. Because teachers greatly influence their students, it is common for those in the self-fulfilling prophecy to meet their teacher’s expectations. In a few instances, a child may deny a teacher’s expectations and perform better or worse than expected, thus not adhering to their self-fulfilling prophecy and acting similarly to those under the stereotype threat. However, due to their lack of self-awareness, children may not have the ability to break out of the