A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Expectations Shape Behavior

We are existentially focused on classifying the information we learn. Because we need to separate and categorize the information we receive from many different sources. This way we can more easily recall the information we want to remember by classifying similar things.

Our stereotypes are shaped by the norms of the social environment in which we live and the cultural values ​​we have. Therefore, people who belong to the same group are expected to exhibit the same behavior. This approach causes this group of people to form expectations about the behavior of other people. For example; “Negroes are dangerous”, “Women are bad drivers”, “Children do not interfere with the eldest”…

Expectation is defined as our motivation to act and the motivation that determines how we act. We exhibit certain behavior in order to implement the situation in which we want to happen. For example; If we have hope of good driving, we try to gain experience by using cars and improve ourselves by getting trained in this area.

Research shows that people tend to shape their behavior according to their expectations. Robert Mertonthis waiting effectself-fulfilling prophecy(Merton, 1948). A self-fulfilling prophecy can cause certain judgments to become stereotyped and the expected situation to become a reality. If we think that the new social environment we will enter will be warm and friendly, we are more likely to act close, and if we think that there will be distant and cold people, we tend to stay away.

In this case, revising our expectations, focusing on what we really want to happen, dreaming will be steps that will bring us closer to our desires.

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