Hawthorne Effect

The effect on a person's or a group's behavior of knowingly being under observation is called the "hawthorne effect." It is commonly positive or beneficial, because knowing that they are being observed encourages people to behave or perform at a higher level of efficiency than they might otherwise. The name derives from a study on employee satisfaction at the General Electric manufacturing plant in Hawthorne, Illinois, where the effect was first observed.

JOHN M. LAST

(SEE ALSO: Halo Effect; Observational Studies)