Interpersonal expectancy effects: the first 345 studies

Abstract

The research area of interpersonal expectancy effects originally derived from a general consideration of the effects of experimenters on the results of their research. One of these is the expectancy effect, the tendency for experimenters to obtain results they expect, not simply because they have correctly anticipated nature's response but rather because they have helped to shape that response through their expectations. When behavioral researchers expect certain results from their human (or animal) subjects they appear unwittingly to treat them in such a way as to increase the probability that they will respond as expected.In the first few years of research on this problem of the interpersonal (or interorganism) self-fulfilling prophecy, the “prophet” was always an experimenter and the affected phenomenon was always the behavior of an experimental subject. In more recent years, however, the research has been extended from experimenters to teachers, employers, and therapists whose expectations for their pupils, employees, and patients might also come to serve as interpersonal self-fulfilling prophecies.Our general purpose is to summarize the results of 345 experiments investigating interpersonal expectancy effects. These studies fall into eight broad categories of research: reaction time, inkblot tests, animal learning, laboratory interviews, psychophysical judgments, learning and ability, person perception, and everyday life situations. For the entire sample of studies, as well as for each specific research area, we (1) determine the overall probability that interpersonal expectancy effects do in fact occur, (2) estimate their average magnitude so as to evaluate their substantive and methodological importance, and (3) illustrate some methods that may be useful to others wishing to summarize quantitatively entire bodies of research (a practice that is, happily, on the increase).

Physical therapists' nonverbal communication predicts geriatric patients' health outcomes.

“…Thus, providers might have behaved more expressively toward clients for whom they had more positive expectations. Interpersonal expectations are often subtly and nonconsciously communicated through nonverbal behavior (Rosenthal, 1987;Rosenthal & Rubin, 1978). Given these results regarding the relationship between physical therapists' behavior, especially distancing behavior, and elderly clients' health outcome, we became interested in further examining one potential mechanism underlying the relationship between therapist behaviors and client health outcome: client perception.…”

Four mediation models of teacher expectancy effects on students’ outcomes in mathematics and literacy

“…The study is criticised for numerous methodological errors and expressing in the report opinions that are consistent with popular beliefs concerning teachers' lack of competencies (Snow 1995;Spitz 1999;Wineburg 1987). Finally, in a series of meta-analyses summarising the results of subsequent studies verifying the Pygmalion hypothesis, it was demonstrated that expectancy effects are a real phenomenon affecting educational outcomes of a large group of students (Harris and Rosenthal 1985;Rosenthal 1997;Rosenthal and Rubin 1978). In one of the last meta-analyses, based on the results of 674 studies, Hattie (2008) established that the size of teacher expectancy effect is d = 0.43.…”

Percepciones y expectativas del aprendizaje en jóvenes universitarios

“…Los precursores en el estudio acerca de la influencia que tienen las expectativas de unas personas sobre otras fueron (Rosenthal y Rubin, 1978).…”