The Hawthorne effect is best defined as:

Question

A) Expectations by the experimenter that can influence the results of an experiment

B) The change in the results of an experiment when it is blind versus double blind.

C) The idea that people will alter their behavior because of the researcher's attention.

D) Specific, testable predictions derived from a theory.

E) The idea that subjects in an experiment will lie if the researcher tells them to.

Answer 1

Dana is spot on. The correct answer is absolutely “C) The idea that people will alter their behavior because of the researcher's attention.” The Hawthorne Effect is the idea that a person will change their behavior when they realize they are being watched by another individual. Essentially, it’s something that most, if not all, people would do as soon as we become aware that someone else is now “judging” our work.

Answer 2

The Hawthorne effect refers to the inclination of some people to work harder and perform better when they are being observed as part of an experiment. So the best choice would be

c)The idea that people will alter their behavior because of the researcher's attention.