The Pygmalion Effect: Unlocking Potential Through Expectation and Encouragement

 

What Is the Pygmalion Effect?

The Pygmalion effect describes how belief and expectation can shape performance. When teachers or parents expect a child to succeed, the child often rises to meet that expectation. It’s a powerful reminder that encouragement is not just emotional support—it’s a catalyst for achievement.

 

A Famous Experiment

In one well-known study, teachers were told that certain students were “gifted” and should be challenged. In reality, those students were average, and some had even been labelled “poor performers.” Yet, when the teachers raised their expectations, the students excelled. The belief that they were smart became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

My Experience with Struggling Readers

When I began tutoring children labelled “dyslexic,” I discovered they were intelligent kids who had simply shut down after being taught the wrong sounds of letters. Once I corrected those sounds and gave them the right tools, they started reading.

 

The transformation was striking. Their behaviour improved, their confidence grew, and even their physical presence changed—their gait straightened, their frustration melted away. Encouragement amplified this progress. When I told them, “You are smart, you can do this,” they believed it, and their reading accelerated.

 

Why Expectation Matters

For struggling readers, especially those mocked by peers, expectation and encouragement are lifelines.

 

Correct teaching gives them the tools.

Encouragement fuels their confidence.

Expectation sets the standard they strive to meet.

When a parent or tutor instills the conviction that a child is capable, the child begins to act in accordance with that belief. The prophecy fulfills itself.

 

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

This idea is also known as the self-fulfilling prophecy. When you believe your student will perform well, in some strange but consistent way, they do. Daily encouragement reinforces this cycle, raising self-esteem and performance together.

 

A Lesson From “My Fair Lady”

The Pygmalion effect is beautifully illustrated in My Fair Lady. Professor Henry Higgins claims he can transform Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl, into a duchess. His belief and expectation drive the transformation—just as belief in a child’s ability can unlock hidden potential.

 

✨ Takeaway: Correct teaching, encouragement, and expectation form a powerful trio. Believe in your child’s intelligence, expect success, and encourage daily. The results will surprise you—and them.