selffulfilling

Selffulfilling is an adjective describing processes or outcomes reinforced by the beliefs or expectations of people, where the expectation leads to actions that cause the expected outcome. In common usage, the term is most closely associated with the self-fulfilling prophecy, a prediction that causes itself to come true.

Mechanisms include expectancy effects: a belief about a situation increases attention to confirmatory information; behavior changes in the believer or others that align with the belief; social signaling that elicits responses from others that validate the belief; and confirmation bias that interprets ambiguous events as supportive. Feedback loops can intensify beliefs over time, making initial assumptions more durable even when not warranted.

Examples include in education: teachers' expectations influence student performance; in economics/markets: investor sentiment moves prices; in everyday life: stereotypes influencing interactions.

Related terms: self-fulfilling prophecy is the specific form where a belief about a person or situation leads to actions that cause the predicted outcome; selffulfilling outcomes may be unintentional or unconscious. Positive selffulfilling effects can enhance performance or cooperation; negative ones can entrench discrimination or poor outcomes.

Mitigation involves critical examination of assumptions, promoting independent verification, and reducing bias through structured decision-making and diverse perspectives.