Meanings
nounPygmalion effect (plural Pygmalion effects)
plural Pygmalion effects
- The phenomenon whereby the greater the expectation placed upon people is, the better they perform.
Synonyms: Rosenthal effect
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe phenomenon whereby the greater the expectation placed upon people is, the better they perform.
Similar
Also see
Origin
Named after Rosenthal and Jacobson's 1968 book Pygmalion in the Classroom, itself named after the mythological sculptor who fell in love with his statue.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Pygmalion effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pygmalion%20effect
MLA
“Pygmalion effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pygmalion%20effect. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Pygmalion effect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Pygmalion%20effect.
Source: Pygmalion effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.