| Sumario: | Predictive assumption refers to all expressions of attitude and opinions which have a predictive character, or represent a readiness to act on the assumption of some probability. Predictive assumptions include expectant attitudes, gestures, prejudices, curses, hypotheses, prognoses, reputations, stereotypes, epithets, conceptions of role, definitions of the situation, myths. These reactions would, of course, take the form of positive or negative responses both attitudes and overt behaviors according as the prospect predicted seemed desirable or undesirable; and the processes of evaluation and reaction toward their own expectations or curses would be a factor in the fulfillment or nonfulfillment thereof. A reputation for doing something can always be rephrased as avoidance of something else. A prediction can be couched in negative or positive terms. The actual responses and results may similarly be described negatively or positively, depending upon the emphasis in one's attention at the time.
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