Explain the term "self-fulfilling prophecy."
A self-fulfilling prophecy refers to the phenomenon where a prediction or expectation about a situation influences an individual's behavior in such a way that it causes the prediction or expectation to actually come true. In other words, a belief or expectation can shape a person's actions, even if it's unfounded, in a way that produces results that confirm the belief or expectation. An example of this could be a student who believes they will perform poorly on an exam, and as a result, becomes overly anxious and does not study effectively, leading to a poor performance on the exam, thus fulfilling the initial belief. The term was first coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1948.
Complete the following task based on the instruction and optional input provided.### Instruction:
Explain the term "self-fulfilling prophecy."

### Output:
A self-fulfilling prophecy refers to the phenomenon where a prediction or expectation about a situation influences an individual's behavior in such a way that it causes the prediction or expectation to actually come true. In other words, a belief or expectation can shape a person's actions, even if it's unfounded, in a way that produces results that confirm the belief or expectation. An example of this could be a student who believes they will perform poorly on an exam, and as a result, becomes overly anxious and does not study effectively, leading to a poor performance on the exam, thus fulfilling the initial belief. The term was first coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1948.