Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: ** A Self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when an individ

Question

Self-Fulfilling Prophecies: ** A Self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when an individual A has a preconceived expectation about another person B. The individual A reacts to the person B accordingly. This in turn causes person B to act in a way consistent with the original expectation. This week's individual on-line conference assignment will be to examine schemas and self-fulfilling prophecies. 1. Define schema in your own words and discuss whether you think schemas influence how events are interpreted? 2. Define self-fulfilling prophecy in your own words and how it might relate to an individual's schema. 3. Give an example.

Explanation / Answer

SCHEMA

A Schema is a mental concept that informs a person about what to expect from a Variety of experiences

and situations. Schemas are developed based on information provided by life experiences and are then

stored in Memory.

Schemas can contribute to stereotypes and make it difficult to retain new information that does not

confirm to our established ideas about the world.

The use of Schema as a basic concept was first used by a British Psychologist named Frederic Bartlet as a

part of his learning theory. Bartlett’s theory suggested that our understanding of the world is formed by

A network of abstract mental structures.

Theorist Jean Piaget introduced the term Schema, and its use was popularized through his work.

According to his theory of Cognitive development, children go through a series of stages of intellectual

growth.

In Piaget’s theory a schema is both the category of knowledge as well as the process of acquiring that

knowledge. As experiences happen and new information is presented, new schemas are developed and

old schemas are changed or modified.

For instance when some one says the word “Bird” you have a picture that automatically comes to mind.

That is a schema, it is a picture that you learned to identify with as a child and not when you see a bird

Or hear of a bird it is aubconscious way of checking it out.

So when you see a dog picture labled as a bird, you check with your schema and realize that no its not a

Bird, it’s a dog. However you may see a bird picture and compare it to your bird schema and realize that

It’s a weird looking bird.

For Example, a young child may first develop a schema for a horse. She knows that horse is large, has

hair, four legs and a tail. When the little girl encounters a cow for the first time, she might initially call it

a horse. After all ,it fits in with her schema for the characterstics of a horse. It is large animal that has

hair, four legs and a tail. Once she is told that this is a different animal called a cow, she will modify her

existing schema for a horse and create a new schema for a cow.

The process through which schemas are adjusted or changed are known as assimilation and

accommodation. In assimilation, new information is incorporated into pre-existing schemas. In

accommodation existing schemas might be altered or new schemas might be formed as a person learns

new information and has new experiences.

Schemas are also self sustaining and will persist even in the face of disconfirming evidence. This is

Because if something does not match the schema, such as evidence against it , it is ignored. Some

Schema are easier to change than others, and some people are more open about changing any of

Their schemas than other people.

Schemas are based on our prior expectations and social knowledge, they have been described as

Theory-driven structures that lend organization to experience.

Schemas help us process information quickly and economically and facilitate memory recall.

We are more likely to remember details that are consistent with our schema than those that are

Inconsisitent.

Simplifying information and reducing the cognitive effort that goes into a task preserves cognitive

Resources for more important tasks.

Schemas also serve to evaluate social stimuli as good or bad normal or abnormal positive or negative

And some contain a strong affective component, so that when they are activated the associated

Emotion is cued.

Conclusions about schemas

Schemas are based on our general world knowledge and experiences

Schemas operate in the selection of memories.

Schemas encourage memory abstraction.

Schemas influence interpretations of our memory for information

Schemas lead to integration of information in memory

SELF FULFILLING PROPHECY

Any positive or negative expectation about circumstances ,events

Or people that may affect a person’s behaviour toward them in manner

That causes those expectations to be fulfilled.

An employer who, for example expects the employees to be disloyal and shirkers

Will likely treat them in a way that will elicit the very response he or she expects.

By putting the idea that he will become president of the United States in his head, it became

A self fulfilling prophecy for Barak Obama.

Schemas, or the mental structures we use to organize our knowledge of the world, are critical

To everyday life. Imagine that every time you encounter a new situation, you have to start from scratch

And interpret the situation with no previous knowledge. This would be in efficient and tiresome.

Schemas allow us to interpret new situation based on our prior experiences, thus allowing us to

Understand the situation more quickly , and accurately. Self fulfilling prophecy is the process in which

One person has a schema about what another person is like , and by acting in that regard towards the

Person, they behave consistent with the original expectation. The self-fulfilling prophecy works in a four

Step cycle. First you have an expectation from prior experiences, which then influences your behaviour

Toward a certain person. The person’s respond behaviour is congruent to your expectation because you

Are treating them in that way, thus confirming your original expectation as accurate.

                              The self-fulfilling prophecy is a common occurrence in everyday life,

Because once our schemas are in place , we are naturally motivated to believe that are

Correct. I grew up in a very affluent Boston suburb, with superior public schools and

Plenty of incredible opportunities. People living outside Weston see it as a town full of

Rich, snobby children who get whatever they want when they want it. Everytime I have to

Say where I am from, I am given this perception that I am a mean snob and take everything for

Granted, a stereotype which I always have to try and disprove. I specifically remember my

Summer orientation group after we all introduced ourselves, I received looks of distain being

Like “oh this girl’s from Weston.” After just meeting most of these people , those that knew of

Weston treated me as if I was rude, snoby, and arrogant. Those were the people whom I chose not to

Hang out with, because if they were not going to be nice to me, then I did not want to be with them.

Through out the few days of orientation, I did not interact with them too much, essentially giving

Them the Impression that I was too good for them, thus confirming that

Their original stereotype of Weston kids is accurate. In order to prevent providing the incorrect

Expectations, one has be extremely care ful in how they react to people treating them a certain

Way that would envoke the expected response.

Steps to Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

1 Perceiver has expectations about how target will behave

2 Perceiver then behaves In a way that is likely to elicit the expected target behaviour

3 Target indeed behaves in a way that confirms perceivers expectations

4 Perceiver (Objective Perceiver) sees predicted behaviour.

Examples of Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

=>You expect your new roommate to be shy so you do not speak much to him

After he moves in, and he therefore does seem shy

=>A Coach expects his fishermen to be uncoordinated and unskilled so he does

Not play them often, and when he does they are rusty and do not perform well.

=>Your Professor expects you to do well and she spends extra time with you preparing

For the exam, so you get an A.

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