Self-fulfilling prophecy and self-efficacy: Their effects on performance

Abstract

Individuals’ performances in academics and in any task-related jobs are sometimes influenced by others’ or one’s own expectations. In addition, a person’s views of his competence and capability could similarly affect its achievement. These were the highlights of the study wherein the researchers sought to investigate the effect of self- efficacy on performance, self-fulfilling prophecy on performance, and the interaction effect of both on performance. Participants of this study consisted of eighty (80) Third Year High school students from two sections of Capiz National High School. A 2 (high and low levels of self-efficacy) x 2 (positive and negative self-fulfilling prophecy) between-subject factorial design was used in this study. The randomly selected participants were asked to answer the General Perceived Self-efficacy Scale. Arbitrarily, their scores were used as a basis for assigning them to either high or low self-efficacy group. There were two phases in the study. In the first phase, the predetermined high efficacious participants viewed a film depicting the successful performance of the student in solving a chemistry problem. Low efficacious participants on the other hand separately viewed a film which depicted the unsuccessful performance of the student. Verbal persuasion was given by the lecturer after each film was shown. In the second phase of the experiment, high efficacious participants were subdivided into two groups. One group was induced with a positive expectation by the confederate and the other group was induced with a negative one. The same procedure was administered with the low efficacious participants. The F-score for the effect of self-efficacy on performance was F(l,80) =0.597, p<05, indicating that the performance scores of students whether they belong in the high or low self-efficacy group had no significant difference. Results further showed that the effect of self-fulfilling prophecy was significant F(l,80)=19.947, p<.05, suggesting that the performance scores of participants regardless what level of self-efficacy group they were assigned had a significant difference. This result suggests that teacher’s expectation (positive or negative) strongly affect students’ performance. On the other hand, findings on the interaction effect of self-efficacy and self-fulfilling prophecy received no strong support.