The ‘expectancy effect’ is when somebody holds a specific belief or opinion about another person that influences the way they behave towards them. This belief may drive interactions that then, in turn, lead the person to engage in behaviour that was expected. In short, we often get what we expect!
The expectancy effect is a self-fulfilling prophecy which can adversely affect our professional relationships as well as impacting the support we offer the individuals in our care.
The expectancy effect in action
So, what can the expectancy effect look like in real life and how could it influence the ways we respond to behaviour?
Let’s take, for example, a supply teacher, new colleague, or agency staff member working at our setting for the first time. They are told to be aware of an individual, because of their behaviour, and informed about past incidents.
It’s now possible that the new member of staff will start thinking about the behaviour they may encounter, and what they may have to do in response. They may start to feel anxious, imagining scenarios and preparing responses in their head before they’ve even met the individual concerned.
When they meet the individual, they may attempt to ‘manage’ their behaviour immediately to show them they’re in control, inadvertently single them out, or simply focus on them to the extent that the individual feels anxious and watched. The resulting behaviours they see reinforce the expectations the member of staff had before meeting the individual.
Read more about making assumptions about individuals.
How do we move away from the expectancy effect?
We need to give those in our care the opportunities to show us who they are without us being unduly influenced by what we may have heard about them from colleagues, parents and carers or other individuals.
Without these opportunities, the people we support can only exist in the framework we have created for them, with no chance of surprising us or dismantling any previously held and inaccurate beliefs.
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