Hawthorne Effect

The Hawthorne effect is a psychological phenomenon named after a series of research experiments performed by Harvard Business School professor Elton Mayo in the 1920s. The term generally refers to the tendency of test subjects to attempt to please researchers and the resultant positive effect of researchers on subjects' performance. In education, it is believed that teachers who are passionate about what they are teaching and who genuinely care about students as individuals can have a positive impact on student learning. Therefore, a teacher who motivates students and gives them attention will positively affect their learning, and more measurable changes in attitude or behavior will result. While the findings of the original experiments have been deemed flawed, the Hawthorne effect has been an influential ...