Self-fulfilling prophecy

• According to labelling theory, what determines if a behaviour is considered deviant?

  Society's designation of the behaviour as deviant
• How does labelling a behaviour as deviant affect the power structure in society?

  It helps authorities maintain their power structure
• What happens to a person once they are labelled as deviant?


  They become stigmatised
• In what way does a deviant label affect how others treat the labelled individual?

  They are seen as untrustworthy
• What impact does a negative label have on a person's self-image?

  It is likely to lower their self-image
• How might a person with a negative label view themselves?

  They are more likely to reject themselves
• What is a potential consequence of being labelled as deviant in terms of behaviour?

  The person may act in ways that fulfil the label and commit more criminal behaviour
• The affects of labels/labelling- Labels can affect an individuals self concept and lead to SFP. Labels can affect the way others treat you and may lead to SFP. Society may label people according to the way others treat you and this may lead to SFP.
• What does labelling theory ignore regarding deviant acts?

  It ignores the reason for the original deviant act.
• What alternative explanation for criminal behavior is mentioned alongside labelling theory?

  Social learning theory.
• What did Chambliss (1973) find about the Roughnecks and the Saints?


  The Roughnecks were more likely to be labelled deviant by the police than the Saints.
• What was the implication of Chambliss's findings regarding labelling theory?


  It supports the idea that labelling is part of the power structure.
• How does labelling theory focus on nature versus nurture?

  It focuses on nurture and ignores nature, such as genetic or hormonal influences.
• What limitation does labelling theory have regarding explanations of criminal behavior?

  It does not explain all criminal behavior.
• What did Lieberman et al (2014) find about juveniles who had been previously arrested?


  They were more likely to commit other crimes compared to those who had not been arrested.
• What theory could explain why previously arrested juveniles are more likely to commit crimes?

  Labelling theory
• What did Lemert (1962) find about cheque forgers?


  They had been forging cheques long before they were caught.
• How did Lemert's findings relate to the concept of labelling?


  Their self-image was not affected by the label since they were active before being labelled.
• How does labelling theory explain deviant behaviours in different cultures?

  • In Amsterdam, marijuana use is not labelled as deviant.
  • Limited drug use and very few overdose cases occur.
  • In other cultures, marijuana is labelled as deviant, leading to higher drug use and overdose cases.
• What is the relationship between labelling and drug use in Amsterdam compared to other cultures?


  In Amsterdam, limited labelling leads to lower drug use and fewer overdoses, while other cultures with labelling experience higher drug use and overdoses.
• The self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when a prediction about another comes true simply because of the expectation . Step 1- perceiver has expectations of the target person. Step 2- Perceivers behaviour towards the target. Step 3- Target behaviour towards the perceiver. Prophecy is fulfilled.
• Labelling and SFP go together as an explanation of crime and anti-social behaviour- process of the prophecy is that someone is first labelled and then 'becomes' the label. Labelling- involves a majority group considering a minority group as inferior and using inferior terms when talking about them. Stereotyping- Thinking a whole group share certain characteristics. It is based on generalised and simplified view. Self fulfilling prophecy- Concept from social psychology that refers to the process of something coming true because it was predicted to happen.
• Jahoda (1954)- The Ashanti people expect their children to follow after the traits of the day they were born. Monday boys are called Kwadwo and are expected to be calm and peaceful. And Wednesday boys are called Kwadku and are aggressive and angry. He inspected arrest records: 22%arressted were born on Wednesdays, whereas 6.9% were born on a monday.
• Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968)- Went to a school and gave students in a class an IQ test. Told the teachers which students were average and which ones were 'bloomers'. They lied, each group was random. After a year they returned and re did the IQ tests, finding that bloomers IQ had risen and the average students IQ had fallen.
• Conformation bias- only seeing behaviour you expect to see. Only see 'bad' behaviour in naughty students. Only ask smart kids challenging question.
• What was the aim of Madon's (2003) study on self-fulfilling prophecy and drinking behavior?


  To determine if a parent's predictions of their child's drinking habits would come true.
• What was the procedure used in Madon's (2003) study?

  505 mother-child pairs from 36 rural schools across 22 counties in a US state participated in a longitudinal survey using questionnaires and interviews.
• How many girls and boys participated in the study?

  233 girls and 272 boys participated.
• What type of survey was conducted in the study?

  A longitudinal survey was conducted.
• What were the two main methods of data collection in the study?

  Questionnaires and interviews were used for data collection.
• What assumptions were made in Madon's (2003) study?


  Background variables such as behavior, intentions, and family demographics will influence both the child's drinking habits and the mother's predictions.
• How can a mother's expectations influence a child's drinking behavior according to the study?

  A mother's expectations can influence drinking through self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP).
• What type of predictions can create a self-fulfilling prophecy?

  Only inaccurate predictions that are not based on background variables can create SFP.
• What are moderator variables that can control for inaccurate predictions?

  Moderator variables include self-esteem, social class, and the valence of the mother's opinion.
• What baseline measures were taken for mothers in the study?

  Baseline measures included expectations of alcohol use, gender, perception of friends' alcohol use, income, and gender of the child.
• How was the reliability of the children's responses checked in the study?

  Reliability was checked by comparing children's 'yes' responses to baseline measures.
• What percentage of children initially reported not drinking alcohol?

  89% of children reported that they had not drunk alcohol originally.
• What was found regarding children whose parents predicted high alcohol consumption?


  Children who drank the most were those whose parents had predicted a greater use of alcohol.
• What increased the risk of a child drinking alcohol according to the study?


  Children were at a greater risk if both their parents predicted high consumption.
• What did Madon et al. conclude about the correlation between maternal expectations and actual alcohol use?

  52% of the correlation is due to maternal expectations, while 48% is due to self-fulfilling effects.