Pygmalion Effect

WHAT IS PYGMALION EFFECT

Pygmalion Effect, also called selffulfilling prophecy, refers to the tendency in which more the expectations placed upon people, be they children, students or employees, the better they perform.

FROM WHERE HAS THE CONCEPT ORIGINATED?

The concept is taken from George Bernard Shaw's famous play 'Pygmalion'. In the play, an uneducated flower girl is transformed into a beautiful, well mannered and articulate princess by making her believe that she can become a princess. Pygmalion Effect is a phenomenon of creating or instilling confidence in a person to achieve what is desired of him/her to be achieved. Pygmalion Effect necessarily has a person or mentor prophesying belief in the capability of the subject to attain qualities that are desired. In the play 'Pygmalion', the eponymous character Professor Higgins does it admirably.

USED BY MANAGERS?

Managers use the concept more often as a motivation tool to direct the efforts of their subordinates. The application of this concept in most cases leads to enhanced performance by employees. The reason is obvious as the employee responds to the faith that the superior has reposed in her supposed ability. This response is most often positive as the desired goal is conditioned by the organisation and social expectations. The subject or employees' own desire is often subordinate to the overarching expectations from the superior. Pygmalion Effect has a greater impact as the employee feels she is always under observation and there is a burden of expectations from the superior or organisation on her shoulders. Pygmalion Effect is also often used with regard to education and social class.

WHAT ARE SOME RELATED CONCEPTS?

Some of the concepts related to Pygmalion Effect are the Hawthorne Effect and the Placebo Effect. Both these concepts have elements of Pygmalion Effect in them, while all three are in turn based on the concept of instilled self-belief.