Study the Hawthorne Effect and Illuminate Your User Research
In the realm of User Experience (UX) design, the Hawthorne Effect poses a significant challenge. This phenomenon, named after the Hawthorne Works factory near Chicago where it was first observed in the 1920s and 1930s, refers to users altering their behaviour due to the awareness of being observed, often leading to improved or changed performance that may not reflect their natural actions [1][5].
To combat the Hawthorne Effect in UX research, several strategies are employed:
- Transparent User Shadowing: By clearly explaining the purpose of the research and emphasizing the value of understanding users' genuine challenges, user anxiety can be reduced, resulting in less modified behaviour [1].
- Blinded Methods or Deception: In scientific contexts, blinding participants to the study’s true purpose or using mild deception can prevent behaviour modification. However, this approach is often impractical or unethical in UX research [1].
- Passive Observation: Instead of having researchers watch users in real-time, tools like session replay software can record users’ interactions unobtrusively. This captures natural behaviour since users do not feel directly observed, thus avoiding the Hawthorne Effect [5].
- Avoiding Researcher Bias: Observer bias, where researchers might see what they expect to find, can be alleviated through training researchers to be objective and using multiple observers [1].
Whenever lighting was manipulated in Landsberger’s original research, productivity increased, even when changes were imperceptible to the human eye. To minimize the Hawthorne Effect, another method is to account for it by conducting a longer "follow up" period to examine whether a behaviour or change in product is sustained beyond the research [1].
The Hawthorne Effect is a subject of controversy, with some researchers suggesting that the management climate and researcher-worker interactions at the Hawthorne Works may have influenced the outcome. Despite this, the Hawthorne Effect is a common occurrence in research and can be moderated to some extent [1].
In the context of UX design, the Hawthorne Effect can lead to research results that reflect the expected outcome rather than the user's reality on a day-to-day basis. By employing strategies to minimize the Hawthorne Effect, UX researchers can strive to obtain more authentic insights, leading to products that better meet users' needs.
References: [1] Nielsen, J. (2010). Usability Inspection Methods. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. [5] Rubin, J. R., & Ware, C. E. (2004). Observational Research Methods in Human Factors and Ergonomics. Taylor & Francis.
- In the field of UX design, minimizing the Hawthorne Effect is crucial to capture realistic user experiences, as unnatural behavior may occur due to the awareness of being observed, potentially leading to inaccurate research results.
- Strategy to counteract the Hawthorne Effect in UX research includes transparent user shadowing, passive observation, and avoiding researcher bias, which help ensure observations reflect the users' natural actions.
- By employing methods such as blinding participants or using session replay software, UX researchers can collect data with less impact from the Hawthorne Effect, thus gaining more authentic insights into user experiences.
- In the realm of health-and-wellness, workplace-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental health, the Hawthorne Effect might also manifest, affecting user behavior and the accuracy of studies assessing these factors, highlighting the need for strategies to minimize its impact in such research spheres.
