Inspecting expectancy: Some laboratory results of relevance for teacher training.

Because the principal requirement of any "purposive system" is feedback, the dynamic system of teacher-student interaction having as a purpose the advancement of student problem-solving abilities could, therefore, be expected to show the importance of feedback. 80 male college students were required to assist 1 "bright" and 1 "dull" hypothetical student on a problem-solving task. Dimensions of teacher-student feedback were evaluated as a function of teacher expectancy and awareness of possible expectancy effects. Results show that teacher expectancy effects were evident when Ss were unaware of the possibility of such effects and thus were unprepared to deal with students of differing abilities grouped together. Unaware Ss directed both greater levels of encouragement and criticism toward the student of presumed greater ability. Ss who were given special instruction that heightened awareness of expectancy effects were able to guard successfully against qualitatively different treatment of students of differing abilities. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)