självuppfyllande

Självuppfyllande is a Swedish term that translates to self-fulfilling in English. It refers to a prediction or belief that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true due to the substance of the prediction or belief itself. This can occur when an individual's expectations about a situation or person lead them to behave in a way that, in turn, causes that situation or person to conform to their expectations.

The concept is closely related to the broader idea of the placebo effect, where a person's belief in the efficacy of a treatment can lead to actual improvements in their condition, even if the treatment itself has no inherent therapeutic value. Similarly, in social psychology, a "Pygmalion effect" describes how higher expectations lead to an increase in performance, while a "Golem effect" describes how lower expectations lead to a decrease in performance.

A common example of a självuppfyllande prophecy is in education. If a teacher believes a particular student is exceptionally bright, they might unconsciously offer more encouragement and attention to that student. This increased attention and support can lead the student to perform better, thus fulfilling the teacher's initial belief. Conversely, if a teacher believes a student is not capable, they may offer less support, leading to poorer performance.

In economics, a bank run can be a självuppfyllande prophecy. If depositors fear a bank will fail, they will rush to withdraw their money. This collective action of withdrawing funds can actually cause the bank to fail, even if it was solvent beforehand. The fear itself, not necessarily any underlying financial weakness, triggers the collapse. The phenomenon highlights the power of belief and expectation in shaping reality.