Final answer:
In behavioral expectations, a self-fulfilling prophecy involves the behavior of the target of an expectancy, whereas behavioral confirmation involves the behavior of the perceiver.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distinction between self-fulfilling prophecy and behavioral confirmation lies in whose behavior is altered due to expectations. A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when one's own expectations about another person lead to behaviors that ultimately cause the expected outcome to become a reality, thus the prophecy 'fulfills' itself. In contrast, behavioral confirmation is when an individual behaves in a way that elicits behaviors from others that confirm the individual's own expectations.
For instance, in a classroom setting, if a teacher expects a student to excel, they might engage more positively with the student, providing more encouragement and attention. This behavior from the teacher may then lead the student to perform better, fulfilling the teacher's prophecy. Alternatively, if a teacher has an expectation that a student will perform poorly and treats the student with less encouragement, the student's performance may decline, providing the teacher with behavioral confirmation of their initial expectation.