This experiment shows that most children's expectations for their own performance, measured by their rate of volunteering, can be increased. The experiment is closely modeled after laboratory experiments with adults in formal expectation theory. White middle class suburban children of grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 participated in a story-telling task. In this a white adult acted so as to increase expectations of a single child (experimental group), while three other children (control group) received a comparable treatment except for the expectation-raising component. First-grade children showed a positive, but non-significant increase. There was a significant increase for grades 2, 3 and 4. Results for third and fourth graders here are compared with results from an earlier experiment with black inner city and rural white children. (Author)