Because Joseph was perceived by other students as the class clown, he began disrupting class more and more to get laughs from his peers. The other students' expectations for his behavior created a(n)
A) self-fulfilling prophecy.
B) individualistic expectation.
C) power distance.
D) behavioristic expectation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy explains how people's expectations about someone can lead to that person behaving in ways that confirm those expectations. In this case, because the other students expected Joseph to be the class clown, he acted in ways that reinforced this perception, thus fulfilling the prophecy.

Because Joseph Was Perceived by Other Students as the Class