The Pygmalion Effect

Many people have stories of achieving something great because someone had high expectations of them. The concept of the Pygmalion Effect is that expectations will influence performance and become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The term "Pygmalion effect" comes from studie...

A psychological phenomenon that causes people to like someone more after they do them a favor, especially if they dislike the helped person. 

You can use it to benefit and protect yourself when interacting with others.

It reveals a great deal about how memory works. Zeigarnik suggested that failing to complete a task creates underlying cognitive tension. This results in greater mental effort and rehearsal in order to keep the task at the forefront of awareness. Once completed, the mind is then able to le...