Merton, Robert K (1968). Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: Free Press. sid. 477. ISBN 9780029211304. OCLC253949 "The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning.", egen översättning