If people define situations as real, those situations are real in their consequences.
The Thomases stated it in 1928, and Merton built the self-fulfilling prophecy directly on it. Sometimes wrongly attributed to Schelling.
In practice
- A rumour that a school is closing empties its reception intake, and the falling roll becomes the reason to close it.
- A market that believes a currency will be devalued sells it, and the selling is what forces the devaluation.
- Standing
- Sometimes wrongly attributed to Schelling.
- Further reading
- Wikipedia
- Subject
- Sociology & Culture
- Essay
- How societies hold together, sort people, and change