Modeling Galatea: boosting self-efficacy to increase volunteering

Article Abstract:

The Galatea effect is a boost in performance caused by raising workers' self-expectations. Hypothesizing that self-efficacy is central to one's expectations for success and motivation to perform, we used vicarious experience and verbal persuasion to strengthen the self-efficacy of candidates and to increase the rate of volunteering for special-forces service. 556 qualified candidates were assigned at random to the routine information program or to the experimental program. General self-efficacy (GSE) was analyzed as a moderator, and specific self-efficacy (SSE) was measured as a manipulation check. Analysis revealed that the experimental program raised SSE and willingness to volunteer, as hypothesized. 8% more experimental candidates actually volunteered (p<.02), confirming the Galatea hypothesis. The practical importance of the effect was that it reduced the loss of volunteers by a third, compared with the volunteer rate both in the control condition and throughout the preceding year. Analysis detected significant interactions between the treatment and GSE, evidencing the behavioral plasticity effect. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Human behavior, Volunteerism, Expectation (Psychology), Expectations, Self-evaluation, Self evaluation

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Self-fulfilling prophecy and gender: can women be Pygmalion and Galatea?

Article Abstract:

To date, all published confirmations of the Pygmalion hypothesis among adults have involved men. The few studies among women have had methodological ambiguities. The authors conducted 2 experiments in the Israel Defense Forces to test the Pygmalion hypothesis among women. In both studies, the leaders were led to believe that the trainees randomly assigned to the Pygmalion condition had higher than usual potential. Experiment 1 tested the Pygmalion hypothesis among female officer cadets led by women. Although the treatment did raise expectations, none of the performance measures and none of the mediators or the moderators evidenced any expectancy effects. Experiment 2 tested the Pygmalion hypothesis among women and men taking the same course in gender-segregated platoons. The Pygmalion hypothesis was confirmed among men led by a man and among women led by a man but not among women led by a woman. The authors concluded that the Pygmalion effect can be produced among women but perhaps not by women. Pygmalion research among women leading men is now needed. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Demographic aspects, Sex role, Sex roles, Self-fulfilling prophecy

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Pygmalion without interpersonal contrast effects: whole groups gain from raising manager expectations

Article Abstract:

Past Pygmalion research has been susceptible to interpersonal contrast effects, rendering it uncertain whether raising managers' expectations toward subordinates can improve performance without reference to control Ss in the same group. Twenty-nine platoons in the Israel Defense Forces were randomly assigned to Pygmalion or control conditions to test the hypothesis that raising manager expectations boosts performance without contrast effects. Leaders of the Pygmalion platoons were informed that their subordinates on average had unusually high command potential. Platoon-level analysis of performance showed that Pygmalion platoons significantly outscored control platoons, confirming the Pygmalion hypothesis. Manager expectation effects are not dependent on interpersonal contrast effects; in addition, the Pygmalion approach appears well suited to applications involving whole groups. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Analysis, Management research, Employee performance appraisals, Performance appraisals, Goal setting

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