The power of positive expectation

We all know that positive thinking has power. If we believe it's possible to achieve a goal or perform particularly well, we're more likely to overcome obstacles and persevere until we achieve our goal.

But what if someone else believes in us - can that make a difference, even if they don't tell us so directly?

It seems that it can. This is best illustrated by what's become known as the "Pygmalion Effect Study". In 1966, Harvard professor Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson, a primary school principal in California, contacted teachers in a primary school and asked if they could administer an IQ test to all students.