Which of the following statements best describes the self-fulfilling prophecy?
A) It occurs when an individual's characteristics are compared with those of others who have been recently encountered and who rank higher or lower on the same characteristics.
B) It is the assignment of personal attributes to other individuals.
C) It occurs when one attribute of a person or situation is used to develop an overall impression of the person or situation.
D) It is the tendency to create or find in another situation or individual that which one expects to find.
E) It is the tendency to single out for attention those aspects of a situation or person that are consistent with one's own needs, values, or attitudes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The self-fulfilling prophecy is the tendency to create or find in another situation or individual that which one expects to find. This means that our expectations influence our behavior towards someone or something, which then leads to our expectations being fulfilled. For example, if a teacher expects a student to fail and treats them as such, the student may internalize this expectation and actually perform poorly, fulfilling the teacher's initial expectation.

Which of the Following Statements Best Describes the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy