While researchers changed the work environment to see how it affected worker productivity, they got surprising results. No matter what conditions the researchers changed (such as increasing the lighting), the workers seemed to work harder simply because they were part of a special experiment. This is the origins of a concern about internal invalidity in experiments known as:
A) The Hawthorne Effect
B) The double-blind experiment
C) Compensatory rivalry
D) Selection bias
E) The Solomon Four Group design

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The description matches the Hawthorne Effect, which refers to the tendency for people to work harder or perform better when they know they are being observed or part of an experiment, rather than any specific intervention or manipulation. It is a form of internal invalidity in experiments, where the observed effects may not be due to the intended independent variable, but rather due to the participants' awareness of being studied.

While Researchers Changed the Work Environment to See How It