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Robert K. Merton: 2 ideas worth knowing

2 ideas from Robert K. Merton, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

• A sociologist named a Bible-based pattern: success tends to create more success

  Sociologist Robert K. Merton coined the term 'Matthew effect' in 1968 after noticing that famous scientists tend to get disproportionate credit for discoveries, even in collaborati…

  — Robert K. Merton, The Matthew Effect in Science

• Believe a bank is about to fail, and your belief alone can help make it fail

  A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true largely because people act as though it's already true. Sociologist Robert K. Merton coined the term in 1948, using the e…

  — Robert K. Merton, The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

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