Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Individuals have long been intrigued by the notion that persons' expectations can become a reality. These are commonly referred to as self-fulfilling prophecies. Early scientific work in this area examined the Pygmalion effectÐ'--when superiors' high expectations of their subordinates' performance are fulfilled. Since this inception, many replication studies have examined this effect within various contexts and settingsÐ'--e.g., schools, government, and military.

Studies of the Pygmalion effect have identified that a key mechanism through which leaders' expectations influence their followers is by raising the followers' self-expectations, confidence, or self-efficacy. As a widely researched and generally accepted model of motivation, self-efficacy has been defined as "people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances". Persons' level of self-efficacy has been associated with individual choices, goals, level of effort, skill acquisition, emotional reactions, persistence in the face of real or perceived obstacles and pressures, and intrinsic interest. Therefore it has been found to be related to a variety of outcomes such as job search behaviors and re-employment, better negotiation role-play outcomes athletic performance and occupational life path choices.

Even more powerful than the Pygmalion effect, the Galatea effect is a compelling factor in employee performance. The manager, who can assist employees to believe in themselves and in their efficacy, has harnessed a powerful performance improvement tool. Applied as the Galatea effect, these words mean that the individual's opinion about their ability and self-expectations about their performance largely determine their performance. If an employee thinks she can succeed, she will likely succeed. Consequently, any actions the supervisor can take that increase the employee's feelings of positive self-worth will help the employee's performance improve.

As a future United States Coast Guard commissioned officer, I will bring our own set of personal values to the workplace. As an Engineering Officer in the scenario I cannot avoid responsibility for our ethical atmosphere. In order for to prepare the crew for the TACT training I would have a meeting all the member