The Australians

File under Set the Bar Low (and barely exceed the bar)

So why now are we even concerned about meeting others' expectations?  Why do we care?  Why can’t we do what we know needs to be done and not worry about what others expect us to do?  Although there have been thousands of motivational studies, the answer sometimes remains a mystery and this medical study demonstrates that.

An Australian behavioral study described in British Medical Journal in 1997 studied medical prescribing behavior relative to expectations.  Of 169 patients presenting with similar conditions, those who expected to receive medications were nearly three times as likely to receive the medicine, than those who did not expect medication.  Why? Everyone presented with the same conditions and either needed medicine or not.  The rationally thinking doctors should have leveled the ratio of prescriptions despite a patient’s expectations.  But that’s not what was observed.  Those who thought they should have medicine either inferred, intimated, or demanded medication in ways that medical professionals gave in to.  Or, flipping the analogy, if prescription was appropriate, then those that did not have expectations of it were not provided with needed medication. 

In either case, medical providers were influenced by expectations and sought to appease individuals for reasons unknown.  This demonstrates that expectations are clearly not analogous to reality, and humans have an innate need to please people, sometimes without any benefit to their desired endstate.    

Song of the Day
In honor of those crazy Aussies, the greatest Australian rock band, and bringing back the 'black tank top tucked into jeans' look, the song of the day is AC/DC's "Thunderstruck."




British Medical Journal. 1997. Prescribing behaviour in clinical practice: patients' expectations and doctors' perceptions of patients' expectations—a questionnaire study. 350:520-523. (30 August)