Hawthorne effect

noun

Haw·​thorne effect ˈhȯ-ˌthȯrn- 

: the stimulation to output or accomplishment that results from the mere fact of being under observation

also : such an increase in output or accomplishment

Word History

Etymology

from the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company, Cicero, Illinois, where its existence was established by experiment

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above