“Expectancy Effects in the Classroom: A Failure to Replicate”, 1969 ():
12 first-grade classrooms were divided equally among 4 groups representing the combinations of presence or absence of the expectancy bias & classroom observers. In the bias classes, each teacher received a list of ~20% of her pupils who could be expected to show “intellectual blooming” when these pupils were in fact picked without regard to intellectual potential.
Retesting 2 months later showed no relative gains for pupils who were the object of the expectancy bias; there were no clear changes in observed teacher-pupil interaction.
Differences between the present study and previous studies were discussed in light of this “failure to replicate.” It was concluded that the evidence for bias effects in the school remains equivocal.