Behavioral science study, psychology, performed by Dr. Rosenthal proving the effect teachers have on student performance. This article will explain this study in more detail.
Experimenter Effect was a psychological study that proved teachers' expectations have a profound effect on their students. This is a hallmark study that is used to explain many factors. Just a few examples of what this study helps us to understand follow: human behavior, perception, expectancies, learning, and conditioning.
In this study, Dr. Rosenthal told teachers that some students were exceptional students that needed motivation. The same teachers were told that some other students were prone to struggle in class and that they had previous failures in academics. This set the stage for the study, which was ripe with speculation.
What happened to the students in this study?
1. Well, the students that were described as promising and intelligent but lacking motivation did exceptionally well. All of these children achieved very high grades.
2. The students that were described as rather lacking in academic potential did far worse, many failed their classes.
What did Dr. Rosenthal learn from this study?
1. The good doctor learned that a teacher's expectations and motivation are directly related to the success of his or her students. In normal English, this means that when a teacher challenges her students, expecting and demanding excellence, the student rises to the occasion.
2. You see, these children were all of normal intelligence. Neither group was more intelligent than the other was. All of the students in the study were of a sampling that had an average I.Q. This is what made his study so significant and convincing.
What was the result of this study?
1. The result of Dr. Rosenthal's Experimenter Effect study was both controversial and profound. He proved that teachers could positively effect the outcome of a student's performance by offering encouragement, and also negatively discourage a student's success by failing to encourage the child properly.
2. This study has been used to teach instructors how to act accordingly in their student's best interests. Although some teachers are still not aware of the profound effect that they have over their students' ability to succeed, this knowledge is being taught in colleges today.
Hopefully this knowledge will trickle down into the institutions that we call schools, changing the face of education. You can find out more about Experimenter Effect and other studies by Dr. Rosenthal by visiting your local library or doing an Internet search for Psychological studies or Dr. Rosenthal.
Source:
Essentials of Psychology 7th Edition by Dennis Coon
