Self-fulfilling Prophecy in Self-regulated Learning

The term self-fulfilling prophecy (SFP) designates the phenomenon in which an individual`s expectation of a particular event causes the actual occurrence of this event. An expectation, in turn, can be specified as a subjective judgment regarding the likelihood of a future event to happen. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated SFP effects to rule human agency across a variety of different settings. The current research quest follows these investigations by asking: Will a SFP effect also arise for students` self-regulated learning outcomes from the supply of quality information about the instructional medium used? Despite the plethora of research on SFP effects, with this question new empirical and theoretical ground is entered. The generated output is of substantial interest for researchers of expectancy effects in education, where the focus has not been on intrapersonal but on interpersonal settings and explanations. Furthermore, for educational practicioners, the consideration of the impact of media-related quality information provides a simple yet effective tool to affect their students` achievement and satisfaction in self-regulated learning.