Question

In the context of barriers to social perception, which of the following best defines self-fulfilling prophecy?

1) It is the overestimation of the number of people who share our own beliefs, values, and behaviors.
2) It is our tendency to prefer information that supports our viewpoints.
3) It is the formation of lasting opinions about an individual based on initial perceptions.
4) It is a belief that allows our expectations about people to affect our interaction with them in such a way that those expectations are fulfilled.

Answer 1

A self-fulfilling prophecy is a belief that influences individual interactions in a manner that causes the belief to come true, as expectations drive behaviors that reinforce the original belief. So, the correct answer is 4) It is a belief that allows our expectations about people to affect our interaction with them in such a way that those expectations are fulfilled

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of barriers to social perception, the term self-fulfilling prophecy is best defined as a belief that allows our expectations about people to affect our interaction with them in such a way that those expectations are fulfilled. This phenomenon occurs when our expectations influence our actions toward someone, which then leads the individual to behave in a way that confirms our original expectations. For example, if teachers expect certain students to excel, they may interact with those students more positively, which in turn can boost the students' performance, thus confirming the teachers’ expectations. Sociologist Robert K. Merton explained the self-fulfilling prophecy through various examples, including a "bank run," where a false belief about a bank's insolvency can lead to its actual insolvency when acted upon by customers.