Accuracy in interpersonal expectations: a reflection-construction analysis of current and classic research

Research and theory on interpersonal expectations have been dominated by a strong social constructivist perspective arguing that expectancies are often inaccurate and a major force in the creation of social reality. The reflection-construction model is an attempt to examine these strong claims conceptually and empirically. This model assumes that social perception includes both constructivist phenomena and accuracy. When this model is used as a framework for interpreting research on teacher expectations and on the role of stereotypes in person perception, it shows that interpersonal expectancies are often accurate, and usually lead only to relatively small biases and self-fulfilling prophecies. The model also is used to interpret research on expectancies that has provided some of the foundations for the strong constructivist perspective. This reflection-construction analysis shows that even those studies strongly suggest that people's expectations generally will be highly accurate.