Hawthorne Effect
The Psychology Behind It
Named after the Hawthorne Works factory in Chicago, where experiments were conducted in the 1920s. Researchers wanted to see if better lighting improved worker productivity. They increased the lights; productivity went up. They decreased the lights; productivity still went up. They realized that the workers weren't responding to the lights; they were responding to the attention.
When we know we are being watched, we perform. We work harder, smile more, and follow the rules. This is a form of "social desirability bias." We want to look good for the observer.
Real-World Examples
The "Boss is Watching" Effect
Productivity in an office spikes when the manager walks into the room. It drops when they leave. The behavior is not a reflection of the workers' natural state, but of the surveillance.
Medical Adherence
Patients in clinical trials take their medication more regularly than patients in the real world because they know they will be tested and asked about it. This makes drugs look more effective in trials than they are in practice.
Reality TV
People on reality shows act in exaggerated, dramatic ways because they are aware of the cameras. The "reality" is constructed for the audience.
Consequences
The Hawthorne effect can lead to:
- Temporary Improvements: Interventions (like a new management style) seem to work at first, but the effect fades once the novelty and observation wear off.
- Inaccurate Data: We fail to measure typical behavior because the measurement process itself changes the behavior.
- Surveillance State: Management might rely on constant monitoring to boost productivity, which can lead to stress and burnout.
How to Mitigate It
Observe without being seen.
- Unobtrusive Measures: Collect data from existing logs (e.g., computer usage, sales figures) rather than standing over the worker's shoulder.
- Habituation: If you observe for long enough, people eventually forget you are there and return to their normal behavior. The first week of data is useless; the second month is real.
- A/B Testing: Test changes (like a website design) on users who don't know they are part of a test.
Conclusion
The Hawthorne effect is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle of human behavior: you cannot measure a person without changing them. It reminds us that attention is a powerful drug, and people behave differently when they are on stage.