Believed-in inferiority becomes self-fulfilling as people choose roles matching stereotypes.

Evidence

The result, of course, is that the powerful are stereotyped, even by the powerless, in such a way that their success is explained or justified; meanwhile, the powerless are stereotyped (and self-stereotyped) in such a way that their plight is well-deserved and similarly justified. The process may be self-perpetuating in that people who are stereotyped tend to choose social roles for themselves that are consistent with the stereotypic expectations others have of them (e.g., Geis, 1993; Skrypnek & Snyder, 1982; Swann, 1983). To the extent that stigmatized groups can be made to believe in their own inferiority, they may be prevented from achieving positive outcomes (e.g., Steele, 1992). — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2925

Categorization

• XREF: Directly ties to stereotype threat work (Steele 1992) and to the ‘self-stereotyping’ literature; resonates with the Merton self-fulfilling prophecy tradition.