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"Students completed a test that was said to be able to identify ‘growth spurters’ – those who were poised to make strides academically. Teachers were then given the names of pupils who were about to bloom intellectually and like clockwork, these students showed a significant increase in performance compared to their classmates when tested again at the end of the year."

"But here’s the kicker: the ‘growth spurters’ were chosen at random. The only difference between them and their peers, as Rosenthal puts it, “was in the mind of the teacher.” It may seem like a small thing, but the expectations held in the mind of a teacher — or a parent, a manager, or a coach — can impact performance greatly."

Robert Rosenthal