In Greek mythology, Pygmalion is a gifted sculptor who lived in Cyprus. After experiencing disappointment in human relationships, especially with women, he withdraws from social life and devotes himself entirely to his art. He transforms the image of a “perfect woman,” idealized in his mind, into a statue. Over time, this statue ceases to be merely an aesthetic object; Pygmalion begins to perceive human qualities in it and forms an emotional bond. He names her Galatea, offers her gifts, and treats her as if she were a living person.
According to the myth, driven by the intensity of his belief and longing, Pygmalion asks Aphrodite, the goddess of love, to bring the statue to life. The goddess ultimately accepts his wish, and Galatea becomes human. In this way, an image created in Pygmalion’s mind is transformed into a physical reality.
Although mythological, this story offers a powerful metaphor for how beliefs can produce “reality” when they shape not only thoughts but also behaviors and relational patterns. While Pygmalion’s story belongs to mythology, it reflects a mental process that feels deeply familiar: our expectations shape not only what we think, but also how we perceive and act. Centuries later, this myth would lend its name to a psychological concept known as the Pygmalion Effect.
Modern psychology explains this process not through gods, but through cognitive mechanisms. One such concept that helps us understand how the mind processes information is motivated cognition.
What Is Motivated Cognition?
The human mind does not operate like a neutral, objective computer. Our expectations, fears, and desires influence how we select, interpret, and remember information. Motivated cognition refers to the tendency for a person’s existing expectations to shape how they process information from their environment. The mind selectively attends to information that supports its underlying beliefs and interprets ambiguous situations accordingly. In short, this mechanism influences what we notice, how we interpret uncertainty, and how we behave.
In everyday life, we experience this process without awareness. In fact, many cultures express this idea through simple sayings. In Turkish, for example, there is a phrase that roughly translates to “If you speak badly, it will turn out badly.” Psychologically speaking, this saying intuitively captures how expectations guide the mind’s processing of information.
When Expectations Shape Reality
When we expect something to go badly:
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We become more sensitive to negative signals,
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We filter out positive information,
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We interpret ambiguous situations as threatening,
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And our behaviors unconsciously reinforce this negative framework.
For example, if we start the day thinking, “Today feels like it’s gonna go badly,” the mind begins to search for evidence to support this belief. We pay more attention to traffic on the way to work, or an elevator malfunction irritates us more than usual. In other words, we begin collecting evidence that the day is, indeed, going poorly. This is not a conscious choice; it is simply the mind attempting to confirm an existing belief.
This cycle is known in psychology as a self-fulfilling prophecy. An initial expectation influences perception and behavior, eventually producing the outcome that was anticipated. Therefore, the self-fulfilling prophecy can be understood as a potential outcome of motivated cognition.
Experimental Evidence: The Pygmalion Effect And The Golem Effect
In 1968, behavioral scientist Robert Rosenthal conducted an experiment examining how teachers’ expectations influence students’ academic performance. At the beginning of the academic year, all students in a class were given an intellectual ability test. The teacher was then told the names of the ten students who had supposedly scored the highest. In reality, these ten students were selected randomly and did not differ from others in terms of test results.
Teachers unconsciously adjusted their expectations and interactions according to the belief that these students were especially intelligent and promising. By the end of the year, Rosenthal returned and administered the test again. Interestingly, the randomly selected students showed significant improvement compared to their peers. Being seen as “bright” and “capable” had positively influenced their performance.
This performance change is known as the Pygmalion Effect—the idea that higher expectations placed on individuals by others can enhance their outcomes. As expectations rise, performance tends to improve.
But what happens when expectations are low? In this case, another self-fulfilling process emerges: the Golem Effect. When little is expected of someone—when a student is labeled as “not very smart” or “unlikely to succeed”—they receive less encouragement and support. Over time, their confidence may decline, and they may indeed perform worse.
This effect is not limited to education. In workplaces, managers’ expectations influence who receives responsibility, whose development is supported, and who becomes invisible. For this reason, the Pygmalion Effect has significant implications in organizational behavior and work psychology.
The Galatea Effect: When Expectations Come From Within
Are our behaviors and performance shaped only by others’ expectations of us? Or do our internal expectations about ourselves play a role as well? This is where Galatea—the second figure from the myth—enters the picture.
The Galatea Effect refers to the influence of a person’s own expectations on their performance. Unlike the Pygmalion or Golem effects, which stem from external expectations, the Galatea Effect focuses on internal beliefs such as “I can do this” or “I am not good enough.” These beliefs shape where attention is directed, how much effort is invested, how obstacles are interpreted, and when a person chooses to give up.
From this perspective, the Galatea Effect can be understood as an internalized form of motivated cognition. Individuals are more likely to notice evidence that aligns with their self-beliefs, interpret ambiguous feedback in line with those beliefs, and behave accordingly.
When we hold negative beliefs about ourselves, recognizing and realizing our potential becomes more difficult. Conversely, positive yet realistic expectations can enhance performance. The Galatea Effect reminds us that expectations do not always come from the outside; sometimes, they originate within us.
References
Lemay, E. P., & Clark, M. S. (2015). Motivated cognition in relationships. Current Opinion in Psychology, 1, 72–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2014.11.002
The Pygmalion effect – The Decision Lab. (n.d.). The Decision Lab.
https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/the-pygmalion-effect
Samatas, Y. (2010/2025). The Myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. greekmyths-greekmythology.com.
https://www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/myth-of-pygmalion-and-galatea/