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When individuals modify an aspect of their behaviour in response to their awareness of being observed.
Table of Contents
- Background
- Impact
- Example
- Preventive steps
- Further resources
- Cite as
Background
The Hawthorne effect occurs when people behave differently because they know they are being watched.
It can affect all sorts of behaviours such as dietary habits, or hygiene practices because these have considerable opportunity for instantaneous modification. It can also affect study results, e.g. a survey of smoking by watching people during work breaks might lead to observing much lower smoking rates than is genuinely representative of the population under study. It can also contaminate an intervention study if one of the control groups changes its behaviour because it is being observed more frequently than the other.
The original Hawthorne study looked at changing the amount of light at the Hawthorne Works and its impact on working practices. The increased attention focussed on the workers as part of the study led to temporary increases in production (the Hawthorne effect) as opposed to changes in working practices
The Hawthorne effect can also lead to the observation being the intervention. For example, recommending individuals who want to lose weight should keep a diary of what they eat and drink.
Example
A study of hand-washing among medical staff found that when the staff knew they were being watched, compliance with hand-washing was 55% greater than when they were not being watched (Eckmanns 2006).
In a study of dementia patients, more intensive follow-up (comprehensive assessment visits at baseline and 2, 4 and 6 months) in a clinical trial of Ginkgo biloba resulted in a better cognitive functioning outcomes than minimal follow-up (abbreviated assessment at baseline and full assessment at 6 months). (McCarney R 2007)
Impact
A systematic review investigating the impact of the Hawthorne effect identified 19 studies evaluating the behaviour of participants aware they were being studied (McCambridge 2014). These 19 studies showed a wide range of variation in the proposed Hawthorne effect, and no summary of the overall impact of the Hawthorne effect could be calculated. Nevertheless, the authors stated that “research participation can and does influence behaviour, at least in some circ*mstances.”
Another study examined the magnitude of the Hawthorne effect on compliance with a hand-hygiene protocol and collected alcohol hand-rub dispensers electronically (so that participants would not be aware of being observed or measured) as well as by human observers (Hagel 2006). The study recorded five hand hygiene events per patient per hour during periods of observation and two hygiene events per patient per hour in the periods without observation – 61% of the observed total variability in hand hygiene events was explained by the presence or absence of a direct observer – the Hawthorne effect.
Preventive steps
Studies using hidden observation can help avoid the Hawthorne effect, although even knowledge of participation in a study per se is thought to have the potential to induce a Hawthorne effect (Persell 2016).
Cite as
Sackett Catalogue of Bias Collaboration, Spencer EA, Mahtani K, Hawthorne effect. In: Catalogue Of Bias 2017: https://catalogofbias.org/biases/hawthorne-effect/
Related biases
I am an expert in behavioral psychology and research methodologies, having extensively studied and applied the principles of the Hawthorne effect in various settings. My expertise is grounded in both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, including the interpretation of study outcomes and the implementation of preventive measures to mitigate the Hawthorne effect.
The Hawthorne effect, a phenomenon named after the Hawthorne Works study, refers to the alteration of behavior in individuals when they are aware of being observed. This effect is a crucial consideration in research, as it can significantly impact study outcomes and the generalizability of results. In the context of the provided article, several key concepts related to the Hawthorne effect are discussed:
1. Background: The Hawthorne effect can influence a wide range of behaviors, from dietary habits to hygiene practices, and it can distort study results. The original Hawthorne study focused on changing the amount of light at the Hawthorne Works and observed temporary increases in production due to increased attention on the workers.
2. Example: The article provides an example related to a study of hand-washing among medical staff. The compliance with hand-washing was found to be 55% greater when the staff knew they were being watched compared to when they were not observed.
3. Impact: A systematic review mentioned in the article identified 19 studies evaluating the behavior of participants aware they were being studied. While there was a wide range of variation in the proposed Hawthorne effect, the overall impact on behavior was acknowledged. Another study highlighted the magnitude of the Hawthorne effect on compliance with hand-hygiene protocols, emphasizing the influence of direct observation.
4. Preventive Steps: To mitigate the Hawthorne effect, the article suggests using hidden observation, although it acknowledges that even knowledge of participation in a study can induce the effect. This underscores the challenges in completely eliminating observer bias.
5. Further Resources: The article directs readers to further resources on the Catalogue Of Bias, providing additional insights into biases related to research methodologies.
In conclusion, the Hawthorne effect is a critical consideration in research design and interpretation of study outcomes. Being aware of this phenomenon and implementing preventive measures is essential for producing accurate and reliable research results.
