Question

Gina expects 4-year-old Eric to behave badly when she takes him to the mall, and sure enough, he refuses to obey her the entire time they are there.

a) A self-fulfilling prophecy.
b) Stereotyping.
c) Self-justification.
d) Cognitive dissonance.

Answer 1

Gina's anticipation of Eric's bad behavior, ultimately leading to his misbehavior, is a classic example of a self-fulfilling prophecy, which is when expectations can shape reality to conform to those expectations.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation with Gina expecting Eric to behave badly at the mall and him indeed displaying bad behavior is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when someone's expectations about another person or situation lead to actions that cause those expectations to come true. In this case, Gina's expectation that Eric will behave badly may influence how she treats him, which could provoke the bad behavior she anticipates.

This aligns with research by Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) showing that teachers' expectations can impact students' performance and is also related to the broader concept of the social construction of reality, where beliefs can shape actions and therefore outcomes.