Fernanda, a hiring manager for a paper company, does not expect Juwon, a recent college graduate, to have much knowledge about how paper is made. Thus, Fernanda asks Juwon only a few basic questions during his interview. As a result, Fernanda leaves the interview believing that Juwon does not know enough to be hired for the job. This is an example of
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: Self-fulfilling prophecy
Explanation (300+ words):
The situation described is a clear example of a self-fulfilling prophecy—a psychological and sociological phenomenon in which an individual’s expectations about another person lead them to behave in ways that cause the expectation to come true.
In this scenario, Fernanda, the hiring manager, starts with a preconceived belief: that Juwon, being a recent college graduate, likely lacks knowledge about how paper is made. Because of this belief, she only asks him a few basic questions, possibly assuming he wouldn’t be able to handle more advanced or technical inquiries. As a result, Juwon is not given the opportunity to demonstrate any deeper knowledge or enthusiasm he might have about the paper industry.
Since the interview was limited in scope due to Fernanda’s expectations, she walks away confirming her original belief—that Juwon doesn’t know enough to be hired—even though that conclusion is based on an incomplete assessment. Her belief influenced her behavior (asking only basic questions), which in turn shaped the outcome (believing Juwon is unqualified), thereby fulfilling the prophecy she had from the beginning.
A self-fulfilling prophecy can often lead to missed opportunities or unfair judgments. In hiring and other evaluative settings, it can create biased assessments that don’t truly reflect a candidate’s abilities. For example, if someone expects low performance from a group or individual, they may provide fewer resources or less attention, which causes the lower performance they expected in the first place.
This concept is especially important in educational, managerial, and social contexts, where expectations have a powerful influence on interactions and outcomes. It highlights the need for open-mindedness and fair evaluations to avoid inadvertently causing negative results based on assumptions rather than facts.