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In this week's episode, written by guest writer Daniel Benton, we explore the Hawthorne Effect. This the phenomenon that people tend to do better in research studies just by being observed. We look into what this effect is, how it works, and how it makes clinical research trials beneficial to every participants simply by being observed.
References:
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Mayo E. The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization. Nature. 1933 Aug;134(3380):201–1.
Menezes P. Trial effect: the road from efficacy to effectiveness. Clinical Investigation [Internet]. 2012 May [cited 2026 July 21];2(5):443–5. Available from: https://www.ovid.com/journals/clni/abstract/10.4155/cli.12.34~trial-effect-the-road-from-efficacy-to-effectiveness
Brody T. Chapter 7 - Placebo Arm as Part of Clinical Trial Design. In: Clinical Trials (Second Edition) [Internet]. Second Edition. Boston: Academic Press; 2016. p. 155–72. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128042175000072
Hróbjartsson A, Gøtzsche PC. Is the Placebo Powerless? New England Journal of Medicine [Internet]. 2001 May 24 [cited 2026 July 21];344(21):1594–602. Available from: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM200105243442106
Braunholtz DA, Edwards SJL, Lilford RJ. Are randomized clinical trials good for us (in the short term)? Evidence for a “trial effect.” Journal of Clinical Epidemiology [Internet]. 2001 Feb 19 [cited 2026 July 21];54(3):217–24. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s089543560000305x
Guo Y, Yang W, Lin C, Wu H, Li Z, Jiao R, et al. Placebo response on the weight change and its influencing factors in overweight or obesity with or without diabetes: a meta-analysis of 182 anti-obesity medications trials. Communications Medicine [Internet]. 2026 June 5 [cited 2026 July 21];. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-026-01659-7
Cizza G, Piaggi P, Rother KI, Csako G. Hawthorne Effect with Transient Behavioral and Biochemical Changes in a Randomized Controlled Sleep Extension Trial of Chronically Short-Sleeping Obese Adults: Implications for the Design and Interpretation of Clinical Studies. Penzel T, editor. PLoS ONE. 2014 Aug 20;9(8):e104176.
Li Y, Liu W, Yu G. Dancing in Shackles: The Double-Edged Sword Effect of Felt Accountability on Work Outcomes and Individual Wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022 June 10;13.
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