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There are a variety of studies related to what is called the "Pygmalion Effect". See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

There are a variety of studies related to what is called the "Pygmalion Effect". See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmalion_effect Not all the studies show an effect and in those that do, the effect is usually not large. Here's a recent review: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~jussim/TEs%20and%20SFPs%20Jussim%20et%20al%20Handbook.doc http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~jussim/TEs%20and%20SFPs%20Jussim... (MS-Word document).

hugh3 16y ago
Thanks for that. I find the idea of a small effect to be totally plausible. But the results of the supposed study as described, in which one year of being treated as smart was able to turn dumb kids smart, and vice versa, along with the questionable ethics of allowing anyone to perform such a study in the first place, leads me to dismiss it as an urban myth until proven otherwise.
- Tichy 16y ago
  Don't know the study, but it seems worth pointing out that it probably didn't show dumb kids becoming smart and vice versa - it showed kids who were previously perceived as dumb to become perceived as smart, and vice versa. I don't actually understand why it should be unethical? This happens all the time, at least in my country: pupils are sorted into different schools according to their perceived smartness (higher education or "lower" education). That might well be unethical, and such studies seem to be a good way to find out about it.
  - jodrellblank 16y ago
    I don't actually understand why it should be unethical? Because you are deliberately taking children identified as smart, and putting them in a group which is taught slowly, intending to slow them enough to see if they show up as dumb. Essentially, wasting a year of their lives / schooling.
    - Tichy 16y ago
      Wouldn't the teacher adapt to the smartness of the kids?
- sprout 16y ago
  It's only unethical if you have hard data showing that one group would be poorly served by that division. You can't really get a read on that without doing these sorts of studies.
  - hugh3 16y ago
    No, it's unethical unless you have hard data showing that one group wouldn't be poorly served by that division. (Or rather, that neither group would be)

hugh3 16y ago

Thanks for that. I find the idea of a small effect to be totally plausible. But the results of the supposed study as described, in which one year of being treated as smart was able to turn dumb kids smart, and vice versa, along with the questionable ethics of allowing anyone to perform such a study in the first place, leads me to dismiss it as an urban myth until proven otherwise.

Tichy 16y ago
Don't know the study, but it seems worth pointing out that it probably didn't show dumb kids becoming smart and vice versa - it showed kids who were previously perceived as dumb to become perceived as smart, and vice versa. I don't actually understand why it should be unethical? This happens all the time, at least in my country: pupils are sorted into different schools according to their perceived smartness (higher education or "lower" education). That might well be unethical, and such studies seem to be a good way to find out about it.
- jodrellblank 16y ago
  I don't actually understand why it should be unethical? Because you are deliberately taking children identified as smart, and putting them in a group which is taught slowly, intending to slow them enough to see if they show up as dumb. Essentially, wasting a year of their lives / schooling.
  - Tichy 16y ago
    Wouldn't the teacher adapt to the smartness of the kids?
sprout 16y ago
It's only unethical if you have hard data showing that one group would be poorly served by that division. You can't really get a read on that without doing these sorts of studies.
- hugh3 16y ago
  No, it's unethical unless you have hard data showing that one group wouldn't be poorly served by that division. (Or rather, that neither group would be)