At the start of class, Professor Stevens tells students that she wants to measure how many pages of notes they take during class. At the end of the class, Professor Stevens finds that the students have taken a remarkable amount of notes-clearly more than they usually would have. Which of the following is of concern for Professor Stevens?
A) The observational effect
B) The Thomas theorem
C) Murphy's law
D) The Hawthorne effect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Hawthorne effect refers to the phenomenon where individuals modify their behavior or performance in response to their awareness of being observed. In this scenario, the students may have taken more notes than usual because they knew they were being monitored by the professor, rather than because they were particularly engaged in the material being presented. Thus, the Hawthorne effect is of concern for Professor Stevens.

At the Start of Class, Professor Stevens Tells Students That