Hawthorne Control Procedures in Educational Experiments: A Reconsideration of Their Use and Effectiveness

• Published in: Review of educational research Vol. 59; no. 2; pp. 215 - 228
• Main Authors: Adair, John G., Sharpe, Donald, Huynh, Cam-Loi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Educational Research Association 01-07-1989
• Subjects: Children; Control groups; Education; Educational research; Educational sciences; Experimental procedures; Experimentation; Group technique; Hawthorne effect; Learning disabilities; Meta-analysis; Methodology; Moderator variables; Research methods; Social research; Systematic review; Weighted averages
• ISSN: 0034-6543; 1935-1046
• DOI: 10.2307/1170415

This article reports on a descriptive analysis of research practices and a meta-analysis of effect sizes associated with control groups employed to address Hawthorne effects in educational experiments. The descriptive analysis of 86 studies revealed a diversity of practices designed to control one of three artifact variables: special attention, activity related to the experimental task, or awareness of participation in an experiment. The meta-analysis provided no evidence for a Hawthorne versus no-treatment control difference. Moreover, a detailed analysis of these studies by their control procedure, and subsequently by other moderator variables, also revealed no systematic trends to suggest a specific artifact source. A within-study analysis of the pattern of treatment/Hawthorne/control group effect sizes suggested that the artifact controls were of limited utility. Increased research is urged into other artifacts and alternative control procedures that the educational researcher should consider.