The Pygmalion effect is also known as the Rosenthal effect and self-fulfilling prophecy. It refers to the concept that a person will achieve or perform as he is expected to perform, and it can have both positive and negative effects on an individual or group. A person expected to perform well will achieve or exceed this expectation, according to the Pygmalion effect, but a person expected to underachieve or perform poorly will also fulfill this expectation.

The term "Pygmalion effect" comes from a Greek myth. According to the myth, Pygmalion was a prince of Cyprus and a sculptor who created and fell in love with an ivory statue of his ideal woman. He pleaded with the goddess Venus to give life to his creation, and she obliged. Pygmalion married his creation and they had a perfect life together. He had expected the statue to be the perfect woman, and she fulfilled his expectations when she was brought to life.

The Pygmalion effect also incorporates the idea of self-fulfilling prophecy regarding self-perception. A person who believes he is worthless or has other negative perceptions about his abilities and qualities will usually fulfill his expectations. He will never achieve his true potential but will confine himself within his own negative expectations. People who tend to have a positive self-image and believe they are capable of achieving anything they set out to achieve are usually more likely to do so.

Many studies have been conducted on the Pygmalion effect in the classroom. Teachers were given information that certain students in the class were more likely to excel and achieve than other members of the class. No verbal cues were used by the teacher to inform students of the information or expectations, but students who were believed by tutors to have greater potential still showed significantly greater intellectual growth.

Body language is just as important as verbal communication when conveying both positive and negative expectations, as is tone of voice. The use of body language is most commonly a subconscious form of communication, but it can prove to be very powerful. The response and interpretation of non-verbal signals is also often subconscious and subtle but can be extremely powerful and long-lasting, especially when referring to one person's expectations of another.

A student may detect that his teacher believes he will never be a high achiever and is less intelligent and capable of succeeding than other members of the class. If the child detects these negative expectations and comes to believe them, then these negative expectations can remain with him for the rest of his life, trapping him in a continuous circle of negative self- fulfilling prophecy.