Which of the following is an example of a self-fulfilling prophecy?

• A. A manager rewards employees who have already shown high performance.
• B. A person studies hard for an exam because they want to get a good grade.
• C. A student feels nervous before a test and forgets some answers.
• D. A teacher expects a student to excel, gives them extra attention, and the student performs better as a result.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy: it occurs when a person's expectation about another individual influences their behavior toward that individual, which in turn causes the expected outcome to happen.
2. Identify the key elements in the example: the teacher expects the student to excel, which is the initial expectation.
3. Notice how the teacher's behavior changes based on this expectation by giving the student extra attention.
4. Recognize that this extra attention influences the student's performance, causing the student to perform better.
5. Conclude that this cycle—expectation influencing behavior, which then influences the outcome—is the hallmark of a self-fulfilling prophecy.