HOW
PSYCHOLOGY STIMULATES EDUCATION
373
does not depend on luck or magic. This writer finds the notion of partial schedules
inapplicable to non-chance human performance.
His well-
earned influence and stature result from the continuous reinforcement to his stu-
dents that
is
provided by his writing, teaching and filmed appearances.
The “small
minority” (Bijou,
1970)
of educational psychologists who identify completely
with his views might well increase if greater emphasis were given to preceding
stimuli in education and
if
less emphasis were placed on an animal model of learning.
Then William James’ chair would be filled in the same admirable spirit as it now is
with regard to overt expression and consequential feedback.
Department of Education
Brooklyn College
City University
of
New York
Brooklyn, N.
Y.
11210
It
is fortunate that Skinner does not practice what he preaches.
REFERENCES
BAHZUN, J. Review of
J.
S.
Bruner’s Essays
for
the Left Hand.
Science,
1963,
$5,
823.
BIJOU,
S.
W. What psychology has to offer education now.
Journal
of
Applied Behavior Analysis,
1970.
3.
65-71.
<I
BUGELSKI,
B.
R.
The psychology
of
learning applied
to
teaching.
New York: Bobbs-Merrill, 1971.
GATES, A.
I.
Education class: talks to teachers.
NEA Journal,
1967,56,34-35.
JAMES, W.
Talks
to
teachers on psychology.
New York: Henry Holt, 1899. (Republished: New
York:
Dover, 1962.)
PACKARD,
R.
G. The control of “classroom attention:’’
a
group contingency
for
complex behavior.
Journal
of
Applied Behavior Analysis,
1970,3,13-28.
SKINNER,
B.
F.
The technology
of
teaching.
New York:
Appleton-Century-Crofts,
1968.
EFFECTS OF SOCIAL-CLASS STEREOTYPING
ON
TEACHER
EXPECTATION
GILBERT
E.
MAZER’
Western Michigan University
The effects of teacher expectancy on pupil performance have received con-
siderable attention in educational and sociological literature during the past decade.
Both empirical investigations and speculative reports have sought to confirm and
elucidate the operation of a kind of educational self-fulfilling prophecy in the class-
room in which high teacher expectation is associated with high student performance
and, conversely, low expectation with diminished pupil performance regardless of
the validity of the expectation. Thus, studies by Rosenthal and Jacobson
(1968),
Pitt
(1956),
Flowers
(1966),
and Rist
(1970),
among others, have reported significant
relationships between teacher expectation and such pupil variables as academic
achievement,
I&
scores and behavior ratings even when teacher expectations were
based upon spurious information.
‘The author wishes to thank the Center for Educational Research, Charles Townsend, Director,
for
performing all com utations for the study. Appreciation
also
is extended to Denise DeHaan and
Susan Baughman
for
tgeir suggestions wlth regard to the const.ruction
of
the SPES.