If everyone predicts a recession is coming then yes, absolutely, it can start a recession. If you read that duke CFO survey basically what happens is companies

If everyone predicts a recession is coming then yes, absolutely, it can start a recession. If you read that duke CFO survey basically what happens is companies begin to pull back on capital expenditures if they think the future economy is going to slow down. That simple idea manifested in enough companies can significantly reduce the amount of capital expending to make a dent in economic growth. This thinking also plays into the inverted yield curve - it is a sentiments indicator so if people are fearful about the future then they change their behaviors. Perhaps they don't invest anymore money into stocks, they buy bonds instead. Maybe instead of going on that vacation, they pay down debt or cut non-essential spending. If a large enough people do this then it will definitely have an impact on economic growth.