A recent educational experiment showed that the difference between “gifted” children and regular ones may
have as much as to do with 1)__expectations__ as with intelligence. An elementary school teacher was 2)_deceived__ into thinking that her students were above average in intelligence. She then 3)__managed__ to get
them to do outstanding work, even though their true IQs were well within the normal range. It seems that her belief
in her students’ intelligence was enough to turn them 4)_into_ better learners.It’s difficult to 5)__pinpoint __exactly how such beliefs are expressed. It 6)__may __have to do with how a teacher talks to the class: many
positive, supportive expressions and few expressions of impatience, annoyance, or 7)__irritation__.Non-verbal
communication, including 8)_facial __expressions, probably plays a role too. But one thing is clear: labels and
expectations 9)__strongly _ influence results. Outside of the classroom, labeling can, as 10) often__ as not, have a
negative effect. The labels we put on different social groups are usually not 11)__inclusive__. In fact, they are
often sexist or racist. Of 12)__course__ , there is good and bad in all kinds of people. But we 13)__tend__to accept some ideas about certain groups more readily than about others. The school experiment shows that such
labels have a 14)__great__ deal of power. But when labels are unfair and negative they can be very
__damaging__.