What occurs when individuals learn to conform to others' expectations, potentially leading to negative behaviors?

The correct answer relates to the Pygmalion Effect, which describes how individuals can be influenced to conform to the expectations set by others, particularly when those expectations are high. This phenomenon demonstrates that if an individual believes they are expected to achieve certain results or behaviors, they are likely to rise to those expectations. However, this can also work in reverse; when the expectations are negative, individuals may engage in undesirable or detrimental behaviors to fit in or receive validation from their peers.

In the context of the question, when people conform to the negative expectations set by others, they may compromise their values or engage in negative behaviors. This effect is particularly prominent in educational and workplace settings, where the beliefs and attitudes of teachers, managers, or peers can substantially affect an individual's performance and behavior.

While social norms describe the unwritten rules about how to behave, and peer pressure refers more specifically to the influence from peers that can lead individuals to adopt behaviors they might not otherwise engage in, cognitive dissonance involves the mental discomfort experienced when holding two or more contradictory beliefs. Thus, the Pygmalion Effect captures the dynamic of adopting behaviors based on external expectations, particularly when these expectations shape an individual's self-perception and actions.