Self-fulfilling Prophecies
“If individuals define situations as real, their consequences are real”
William I. Thomas
According to this theory, we not only respond to the objective data that are presented to us but to the meaning that we believe a situation will take according to our interpretation of what will happen. Once we make such an interpretation, our behaviors are guided by them and determine the results.
Let’s take the following example:
Pablo is very worried because he thinks he lacks math skills. Although he failed the exam from the previous term, the previous years he had no problems passing this subject. Their environment, in part, has contributed to forming this self-concept since they have directly related this event to a significant deficit in this area and have punished, perhaps in excess, this deviation from the isolated and punctual average.
What could Paul’s attitude be in the new quarter? Perhaps you may have thoughts like: “the same thing will happen to me”, “it is foolish to fail an exam”, “I am not fit as the others for mathematics”, “whatever I do the results will not change” …
Under the influence of these types of thoughts about himself, the future and other students, demotivation is almost guaranteed. In turn, this lack of motivation and this style of thinking can make studying the subject considerably affect their performance, affecting their concentration and assimilation, which translates into a higher probability to fail again.
Not because of his lack of ability, of course, but because he has not really internalized the information or acquired solid learning.
What Paul feared most has been fulfilled: “I knew it would happen”, “I’m not good at it”, “I’m not good for this” … Self-fulfilling prophecy? There are always more factors at play, but it is a possibility. The truth is that the fact that it happens also further confirms his theory, reinforcing the cause-effect relationship for the subject and assuming the role of “I’m bad at math.”
Let’s look at another everyday example:
MÃriam is convinced that something is wrong with Jose, her partner. When thinking about it, he feels a negative emotion that confirms even more his thoughts of: “I’m sure something is wrong with me”, “he is not as usual”, “he does not want to tell me so as not to harm me” …
Influenced by the firm belief that this is so, the conversation could be as follows:
– Miriam: is something wrong with me? I see you very serious.
– Jose: no no. I just had a bad day.
– M: Are you sure? Is it because of something that I have done?
– J: no no. I promise. It hasn’t been a good day at work and I’m pretty tired.
– M: now … but I notice you are very distant. If something happens to you with me, I would ask you to tell me …
– J: seriously, it’s nothing with you. It has been for the day and work. With you I am very well. Maybe you just need to rest.
– M: something’s wrong … I know.
– J: NO Miriam. Nothing with you.
– M: why do you answer me like that? I’m just telling you to tell me what’s wrong with me.
– J: I have not answered you wrong. It is nothing with you. Stop asking me that please …
-M: do you see how something happens to you?
He is frustrated with work and admits it, but now he is not only frustrated because of that issue but because of the added burden of not being able to feel negative emotions without harming his partner.
The hypothesis that Miriam was considering and with which she has guided the conversation is confirmed and gains strength, causing, finally, Jose is upset and distant with her. His behavior has been driven by these thoughts causing what he most feared to occur.
According to Merton, in the self-fulfilling prophecy we can observe the following elements:
- A false definition of the situation, which provokes a new behavior.
- The new behavior that makes the originally false concept true.
- The fulfillment of the prophecy that perpetuates the error, since the prophet will cite the course of events as proof that he was right.
We can all be prophets, what is yours?
