Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Mark Travers writes about the world of psychology. Imagine someone telling you they know you are going to succeed before you even ...

Linda: The myth of Pygmalion is told in Ovid's Metaphorphoses. Pygmalion was a gifted young sculptor in Cyprus who fell in love with a statue he had carved. Pygmalion had strong misgivings about women ...

Simply holding positive expectations about someone’s performance and truly believing in their capabilities can subtly but powerfully affect their behavior—leading to positive outcomes. This is what is ...

People do better when more is expected of them. In education circles, this is called the Pygmalion Effect. It has been demonstrated in study after study, and the results can sometimes be quite ...