The Pygmalion effect describes how high expectations of someone tend to lead to better performance, while lower expectations have the opposite effect.
The Pygmalion effect was originally identified by psychologists Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson in classroom settings. But it is also applied to studies in business, sport, and management.
Pygmalion effect exampleA teacher has high expectations of one particular student, Adil, and low expectations of another, Sean. Adil is given challenging tasks because the teacher believes they can succeed at them. When Adil faces challenges, the teacher is quick to give them support and advice.
Sean, on the other hand, is given more basic tasks, and the teacher doesn’t give them the attention they need when they struggle with these tasks. As a result, Adil makes significant improvement, while Sean’s improvement is much less marked.
The teacher’s high expectations affected the way they worked with each student, which had a knock-on effect on the progress they made.
The Pygmalion effect is also called the Rosenthal effect after one of the researchers in the original study.
Cognitive bias describes the way we tend to act irrationally because our ability to process information objectively is limited. It isn’t inherently bad, but it can affect how we perceive things.
It can also cloud our judgment about people or situations and how risky a set of circumstances might be.
Cognitive bias exampleOne common example of cognitive bias is the assumption that older employees are less adaptable to new technologies compared to their younger counterparts. This bias can influence managers’ decisions.
As a result, the older employee might be offered fewer opportunities for training, development, or career advancement. This might cause the worker to suffer from age-related workplace discrimination.
No one is immune to cognitive bias, so academics and researchers have to be aware of its possible effect on their research. Otherwise, cognitive bias might undermine their work.
You might see the phrase per our conversation in an email, letter, or note, and you might not know exactly what it means. You might also see the variation “as per our conversation,” which has the same meaning.
“Per” is a preposition, and here it means “according to” (e.g., “according to our conversation last week”), but it can also mean “as we agreed” or “just to clarify.” In American English, it is commonly used in newspapers to mean “according to” (e.g., “per a source familiar with the meeting”).
Per our conversation can be a useful way to remind someone about or clarify an agreement. It is worth bearing in mind that the phrase is quite formal and will look out of place in more informal settings. Use our AI Email Generator to create an email with the perfect tone!
It is useful to have a range of different ways of communicating the meaning of per our conversation in situations where that exact phrase would be out of place. Below are some suggestions for you to use.
Presumptuous means “overly forward or excessively bold.” It is an adjective used to refer to someone who appears to be rude or arrogant because of their entitled or overfamiliar behavior. If someone is considered “likely to presume” or “characterized by presumption,” they can be described as presumptuous.
Examples: Presumptuous in a sentenceAsking for a raise after only a month on the job is a bit presumptuous.
He felt a pang of irritation at her presumptuous question about his personal life.
It was presumptuous of the new intern to try to correct the CEO’s presentation.
He felt a twinge of guilt for his presumptuousbehavior at the job interview.
Critical thinking is sometimes called “thinking about thinking” because it is a skill that helps you analyze information effectively. It is this ability that helps you to make a sound judgment about the information you encounter.
Thinking critically involves understanding your own preconceptions and biases. Being aware of your attitudes helps you to be consistent in your standards when evaluating sources.
TipQuillBot’s online Notepad can help you keep track of the sources you consult to compare and contrast ideas.
There are several situations where you might think about writing a follow-up email. Or you might hate the idea, but your head tells you it’s the right thing to do. This is most likely when:
You haven’t heard back after what seemed like a positive job interview.
You have written a cold-call email to a potential client and haven’t heard back.
You have responded to an online query from your website, but there has been no reply to your email.
It can be an unnerving experience, and there is always the risk that you will be seen as pushy. Being pushy, of course, is not going to get you the result you want.
By considering the following guidelines for each component of the email, you can make your follow-up email more effective. Use QuillBot’s AI Email Generator to make sure your emails have the right tone.
Albeit is a conjunction with a meaning similar to “although” or “even though.” It comes from the three words “all,” “be,” and “it,” but it is always written as one word.
Albeit introduces a subordinate or dependent clause that qualifies (i.e., tells us more about) the information contained in the main clause.
Examples: Albeit in a sentenceThe movie was entertaining, albeit a bit predictable.
The hike was challenging, albeit rewarding.
There have been some technical difficulties, albeit minor ones, during the launch.
We abided by the rules, albeit with a few creative interpretations.
For all intents and purposes is a phrase which means “in effect” or “practically speaking.” It is used to indicate that the practical outcome of something is the same as something else.
Examples: For all intents and purposes in a sentenceFor all intents and purposes, she was now the leader of the party.
Even though it had done 1,000 miles, it was, for all intents and purposes, a new car.
With the exams finished, the semester was, for all intents and purposes, over.
Mea culpa comes from the Latin for “my fault,” or “through my fault.” It is an interjection (i.e., a word or phrase that expresses a feeling) but can also be used as a noun meaning an admission of guilt (e.g., “The senator issued a mea culpa via the press office”).
Mea culpa has a long history in English dating back at least to Chaucer (14th century) and originates in a prayer of confession in the Roman Catholic Church. It is now used in a much more general sense to indicate that you accept being at fault for something.
Examples: Mea culpa in a sentenceDid I leave the door unlocked? Mea culpa! I’m so sorry!
The letter was nothing but a three-page mea culpa from the assistant.
The doctor’s short mea culpa on the website did little to calm the patients’ anger.
Because mea culpa has been used in English for so long (like “ad hoc,” “in vitro,” and “de facto”), it does not need to be italicized in the way more recent loanwords from other languages do.
Other interesting articles
If you want to know more about citation, reasoning, or rhetoric, check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Mea maxima culpa comes from Latin and means “through my most grievous fault.” It is a stronger version of mea culpa, which means “(through) my fault.”
Mea maxima culpa comes from a Roman Catholic prayer of confession and is the third, final, and strongest expression of guilt in the lines “mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.” Mea maxima culpa is not usually used outside of a religious context, whereas you will find mea culpa more widely used.
