Hawthorne effect
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A phenomenon whereby a change in the behavior of a subject being studied is an effect of the change itself or the fact of being observed rather than the nature of the change in question.
"In modern organizations, a Hawthorne effect might occur when a relatively trivial change is made in a person's job, and that person initially responds to this change very positively but the effect does not last long."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"In modern organizations, a Hawthorne effect might occur when a relatively trivial change is made in a person's job, and that person initially responds to this change very positively but the effect does not last long."
Etymology
Coined by American social psychologist John R. P. French in 1953 after a 1924–1932 study conducted by Elton Mayo at the Hawthorne Works, a large factory complex in Cicero, Illinois (formerly Hawthorne).