Overview & Description:

The Hawthorne Effect refers to the modification of people’s behaviors in response to their awareness of being observed. This psychological concept indicates that simply being observed can influence and often improve performance or alter behavior.

Example:

An instance of the Hawthorne Effect might be observed in a workplace scenario where employees increase their productivity or exhibit more positive behaviors when they are aware that they are under observation, say, during a performance review period or a study aimed at improving workplace practices.

Implications:

This effect signals the importance of accounting for observational biases when analyzing behavioral data in research and understanding employee behavior in a workplace context.

References:

• Mayo, E. (1933). The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization. Macmillan.