Understanding the Connections between Self-Fulfilling Prophecies and Social Problems

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the link between self-fulfilling prophecies and social problems. It also focuses on self-fulfilling prophecies created by teachers and parents. Self-fulfilling prophecies can also be rendered powerful through accumulation processes. In fact, the accumulation of self-fulfilling prophecy effects is one of the primary ways that self-fulfilling prophecies have been thought to generate and perpetuate social inequities. Psychological theory also hypothesizes that self-fulfilling prophecies can accumulate across perceivers. A host of possibilities exist-negative stereotypes, limited social and psychological resources, and even environmental stressors such as poverty and crime. Madon&s;s et al&s;s repeated belief model suggests that the tendency for people&s;s self-fulfilling effects to accumulate over time is important to psychological theory. The tendency for stigmatized and vulnerable individuals to be highly susceptible to self-fulfilling prophecy effects appears to provide support for the idea that self-fulfilling prophecies contribute to social problems.