Question

Parents warn a new babysitter that their son, Dennis, is very aggressive and mischievous. As a result of this initial expectation, the babysitter starts calling Dennis "Dennis the Menace," and he behaves in ways that elicit aggressive and mischievous behaviors from Dennis. This example best demonstrates the phenomenon called ______.

Answer 1

The phenomenon demonstrated in the example is self-fulfilling prophecy, where the initial expectation of Dennis's behavior influenced the babysitter's treatment, which in turn caused Dennis to behave in aggressive and mischievous ways.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phenomenon demonstrated in the given example is known as self-fulfilling prophecy. Self-fulfilling prophecy refers to a belief or expectation that influences an individual's behavior in a way that confirms that belief or expectation. In this case, the initial expectation that Dennis is aggressive and mischievous led the babysitter to treat him in a certain way, which in turn caused Dennis to behave in aggressive and mischievous ways.