The Hawthorne effect has a simple definition but it has many meanings to many people depending on how they interpret the data.
The Hawthorne Works was a Western Electric factory near Chicago where studies on worker productive were performed from 1924 to 1932.
The Hawthorne effect involves:
(1) an observational study
(2) with a change in worker productivity (may be positive or negative)
(3) associated with a change in the environment
(4) that has a limited duration (such as length of the study)
(5) followed by a return to baseline productivity
Interpretations are varied and include:
(1) the workers felt special because they were involved in a study
(2) the workers knew that they were being observed
(3) the workers responded to the novelty of change
(4) the management can exert control over workers
(5) the findings are not reproducible and the effect may be a mirage
Implications of the Hawthorne effect:
(1) The effect may last only as long as the stimulus. It can be long-lasting if it impacts the person’s habits.
(2) The change in behavior or performance may not be representative of the real-life situation. In a clinical trial this means that the effect noted in the study may be absent in the general population.
(3) Direct observation or feedback is not always required.
(4) Not everyone will be affected in the same way to a given stimulus.
