Hawthorneeffect

Hawthorneeffect, commonly known as the Hawthorne effect, refers to a phenomenon in which individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to the awareness that they are being observed. The term originated from a series of studies conducted at the Hawthorne Works of Western Electric in Chicago between 1924 and 1932, where researchers found changes in worker productivity during experiments manipulating factors such as lighting. Early reports attributed productivity gains to the lighting changes themselves, but subsequent analysis concluded that the act of being studied and receiving increased attention from researchers likely influenced performance.

Mechanisms proposed to underlie the effect include social facilitation, evaluation apprehension, and the desire to present oneself positively. The effect is often environment-dependent and can be short-lived; it may be strongest in first-time studies and in tasks that are salient or perceived as significant to the participants.

Impact and applications: In research, the Hawthorneeffect can bias results by inflating apparent effects of experimental manipulations. Strategies to mitigate include blinding, deception with ethical oversight, unobtrusive measures, randomization, and including control groups that experience the same observation.

Legacy and critiques: While widely cited, modern researchers caution that the Hawthorneeffect is not universal and may be conflated with other forms of reactivity or organizational changes. Some meta-analyses suggest effects are modest and context-specific.

Related concepts include observer effect and reactivity in psychology.