The Pygmalion Effect

[Will Haskell]

I saw Brian Grasso's recent newsletter that mentioned the use of Mozart theory in Athletic Development and wanted to mention another Psychology related method call The Pygmalion Effect. A term that was the coined after an interesting, and revealing study done on the effects of student-teacher interactions at an early age.

The short version of the Pygmalion Effect is that students (athletes) will perform well based on the notion that the teacher (coach) expects them to do so. When learning this in college for the first time, I found it strange and unapplicable to my own studies finding it hard to believe that my eventual grade could be based on how my professor thought I was going to perform in the class.

To relate this concept to coaching, the signals a coach sends to an athlete can go way beyond visual, auditory or kinesthetic cues. The studies that have been done have indicated that this effect is most recognizable at early ages (5-8 years) as children are more susceptible to unconsiously receiving and interpreting indirect cues displayed by a coach. The study reinforced my own feelings on the topic when I was still a proud collegian and seemingly unscathed by this effect based on my age. I had passed the developmental milestone where this concept would have any measurable effect on my psyche or my GPA. However, the plasticity of a developing psyche will make an unconsiously keen and absorbant child and the nature of these indirect signals can ultimately lead to positive or negative associations with physical activity or sport.
It's important for us as coaches to remember that although we may be positive with our young athletes, a mundane detail such as a breathing pattern, could convey a sign of frustration to a young child.
As many of us find ourselves coaching for long periods of time, please remember that we have to do for ourselves what we try to do for our athletes. While we all strive to support ourselves, our families and earn an income to enjoy some of life's experiences, it is important to understand that a coach at the end of a day could be sending that 8-year old kid a message of dismissal out of fatigue. If that means shortening your schedule, taking a few minutes in between groups of athletes to revive yourself, or a weekend away from it all...do it! The benefits can be long lasting for you, and your athletes.

Will Haskell
Athletic Development Specialist

[Deserve]

The self fulfilling prophecy is an interesting effect that has been applied in a variety of management settings. Your right. As a coach or trainer you have to have to be cognizant of it or it will effect your athletes performance. If you are an enthusiast you need to pick a trainer who has positive qualities or it will impact you reaching your goals.

Good stuff.

[Jean-Paul]

That's a very timely article for me, Will. Thanks.

What is interesting to me is my double standard. I am an excellent trainer (toot-toot) for adults and kids. I am patient, nurturing, but also motivating and tough. I do a lot of encouraging and don't even unconsciously display disappointment.

With my oldest child though I don't think I have the same standard. Perhaps I just wish that on some level he were as athletic as I was as a child, but I catch myself expressing disappointment that he won't push himself. Part of my frustration is that he has unbelievable genetic potential, but he seems to be lazy or unwilling to push himself. He's naturally built for speed, but on field day he trails in dead last behind the fat kids who have trouble walking.

My recognition of this has made me hypersensitive to my bodylanguage and communications with him. I try shower him with praise when he does well, and encourage him to try harder when he does not.

We have had some breakthroughs. I also just realized that he is a very late bloomer, but when he does finally decide to try, he actually isn't behind those who were competitive right from the start. In fact, in some ways he's even better than others, probably due to his natural athletic genes.

He was slow to start swimming, for example, but this summer he just started - out of the blue - to start diving off the diving board, and swimming to the bottom of the pool (13 ft) to attempt to retrieve "treasure" (stuff that I place down there to be discovered by him or his sister) and/or an 8 pound rubber coated diving block. I think that part of what made him take off so quickly is that I showed him a few things, but then backed waaaaay off and let him work up the nerve on his own with no "help" from me.

I don't think I've done any permanent damage (I hope), but I do fear that I screwed up quite a bit with him early on. I got pretty mad at him for his attitude on field day. Mad enough to make him almost cry, which caught me off guard, and I spent the rest of the time trying to make him feel better.

My other kids are naturally pretty competitive, so I don't really need to push them. Plus, they like seeing how excited I get when they do well at the pool, or make a basket, so they keep doing it over and over again, getting better skills every day.

Point is, as parents and coaches, we have to make sure that our "product" is consistent, and not hold our own children to a different standard than we would for any other child.

Thanks for bringing up this issue, Will.

[Deserve]

Amen to that. I'm the same way with my son. I've found that when I relax and just have fun with him that he gives his best results.

[Lisa~]

Anybody who works with kids has seen this to be true. Great reminder Will. Thanks for posting.