Scientific Definition
High expectations produce higher performance.
Plain-English Definition
High expectations produce higher performance.
Feynman Explanation
Tell people they're A-players and they'll act like A-players.
Core Principle
High expectations produce higher performance.
Mechanisms
High expectations produce higher performance.
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
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Behavioral Signature
Tell people they're A-players and they'll act like A-players.
Examples
- Random students labeled 'high potential' outperform the next year — the label moved them.
- Talent reviews become self-fulfilling prophecies in both directions.
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Famous Experiments
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Design Principles
- Audit your expectations. They're shaping the outcomes you're measuring.
Measurement Approaches
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Evidence
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The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Audit your expectations. They're shaping the outcomes you're measuring.
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Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Adopting beliefs because the room already did.
Diffused responsibility means nothing happens.
Assuming everyone secretly agrees with us.
Low expectations produce low performance.
One strong trait colors judgment of unrelated traits.
We overweight whoever has the bigger title in the room.
Spending disproportionate energy on trivial decisions.
Once we say it publicly, we'll defend it past the data.
Forgetting what it's like not to know what you know.
Their failure: character. Our failure: situation.
We extend more trust, benefit of the doubt, and rope to 'our people.'
We're more persuaded by people we like.