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What Is Self Fulfilling Prophecy and How Does It Affect Educational Outcome

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OGUNLADE, PHIBEAN OLATUNDE
REG. NO: 2012/4018
COURSE: SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
COURSE CODE: EFC 705
COURSE LECTURER: DR A.O. K. NOAH

What is Self Fulfilling Prophecy and how does it affect educational outcome?

INTRODUCTION
Robert K. Merton (1910 – 2003) Professor of sociology invented the word self fulfilling prophecy to help make tangible and popular the idea that some pronouncement or statement positive or negative can alter peoples action to bring about fulfillment of same pronouncement. It is, however a tragedy of human nature and experience that negative thoughts, ideas statements and actions bond more easily than positive ones. The word self fulfilling prophecy conveys an impression of a prophecy/statement that alters action …show more content…

But once depositors had defined the situation otherwise, once they questioned the possibility of having these promises fulfilled, the consequences of this unreal definition were real enough.
For Merton, therefore, so common is the pattern of the self fulfilling prophecy that it has a way it applies to individual and to everyone situation. The conclusion of an observation or perception of a situation develops into a belief that spurs corresponding behaviour whether positive or negative and actions that eventually lead to fulfillment of the prophetic declaration. A typical Nigerian situation where a man drives into his regular and favoured petrol/gas filling station and was told that the station is out of fuel or long queues observed. He perceives the situation as scarcity of fuel and spreads the news. Before long the situation is defined as such, provokes panic buying of fuel from other filling stations. This leads to unscrupulous hoarding and further panic buying of the commodity7 and an artificial scarcity is created eventually. The prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning. A rumoured situation if not dismissed becomes a real situation.8 A lady that loves a guy and believes that by marrying him they will make a good couple. Whatever happens in the marriage owing to her belief the marriage will last. The general notion that men cheat

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