In: Psychology
Which scientist is most closely associated with the Hawthorne Studies?
A.Barnard
B.Ada,s
C.Mayo
D.Lawler
Answer is option C Elton Mayo,
The Hawthorne effect is a type of reactivity in which individuals modify an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed. On lighting changes and work structure changes such as working hours and break times was originally interpreted by Elton Mayo and others to mean that paying attention to overall worker needs would improve productivity. the novelty of being research subjects and the increased attention from such could lead to temporary increases in workers' productivity. This interpretation was dubbed the Hawthorne effect . It is also similar to a phenomenon that is referred to as novelty/disruption effect. Possible explanations for the Hawthorne effect include the impact of feedback and motivation towards the experimenter. Receiving feedback on their performance may improve their skills when an experiment provides this feedback for the first time. Research on the demand effect also suggests that people may be motivated to please the experimenter, at least if it does not conflict with any other motive. They may also be suspicious of the purpose of the experimenter. So Hawthorne effect may only produce when there is usable feedback or a change in motivation.