What explanation did the study's authors give for the spurters' progress after one year?

• A. Intrinsic ability
• B. Random chance
• C. Self-fulfilling prophecy
• D. Socioeconomic status

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that expectations can shape outcomes through a self-fulfilling prophecy. The authors argue that the spurters’ progress after one year came from teachers responding to the belief that certain students had higher potential. This changed how teachers interacted with those students—more attention, more challenging material, more encouragement—which boosted the students’ motivation, effort, and performance. As these students improved, it reinforced the teachers’ initial beliefs, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that explains the gains.

This isn’t explained by innate ability, which would imply fixed talent, nor by random chance, which wouldn’t produce a systematic pattern. Socioeconomic status can influence outcomes, but the authors attribute the observed progress specifically to the social-psychological process of expectations shaping behavior and results.