Consider various types of negative characteristics such as being scheming and power-hungry, being cold, being aggressive, or being unintelligent

Consider various types of negative characteristics such as being scheming and power-hungry, being cold, being aggressive, or being unintelligent. How can an individual most effectively break the cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy (including negative self-attribution and negative self-esteem) when tagged with one or more of these types of negative expectations? Support your position.

It can also be difficult to break the cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy, maybe even more so when someone has a negative self-attribution or a low self-esteem. Someone that tends to behave in a cold or aggressive manner might elicit unfriendly responses in others, which may make the individual believe that others don’t like them; thus, justifying their actions. Challenging the cycle self-fulfilling prophecies is often seen as a difficult task by many who suffer from a negative self-concept (Lankton, 2013). Some potential ways that a cycle of self-fulfilling prophecies can be challenged include analyzing negative thoughts about oneself in situations, detecting potential cognitions that are not rational, and questioning them rationally or through observation, then replacing the cognitions that are not rational with alternative cognitions that are more adaptable (Lankton, 2013). Analyzing the negative thoughts in situations involve detecting how one perceives their self when participating in interpersonal relationships. For instance, an individual believes that most people do not like him or her; therefore, this makes it fine to behave in a cold aloft manner toward them. According to Weaver, Filson, Moses and Snyder (2015), whether these beliefs are rational or not can be questioned rationally or through direct observation. An example of this is an individual might expose their self to social situations and try to behave in a warm manner to see if people treat them differently. The cycle of self-fulfilling prophecies can be challenged; however, it is not always possible to challenge these self-fulfilling prophecies. This is because the person experiencing them might not always be able to find ways to contradict negative self-attributions or a low self-esteem.

Lankton, C. H. (2013). “Have You Done Anything Ericksonian Today?” Co-Creating Positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. Ericksonian Methods: The Essence of the Story, p 119.

Weaver, J., Filson Moses, J., & Snyder, M. (2015). Self-fulfilling prophecies in ability settings. The Journal of Social Psychology, pp 1-11.

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