Making sense of social research: how useful is the Hawthorne Effect?

‘The Hawthorne Effect’ is a phrase frequently employed in textbooks and other academic discourse. It appears to have been coined over 50 years ago and alludes to the outcome of research undertaken two decades earlier. This paper seeks to elucidate how the term ‘Hawthorne Effect’ has come to be used. A variety of texts will be presented to demonstrate the many different and often contradictory meanings ascribed to the term. A consideration of Guerin's review of research in social facilitation suggests the complexity of issues that seem to be involved in the use of the term ‘Hawthorne Effect’ is such that greater precision is required. Ultimately, we conclude, the term has no useful role in the discussion of research findings. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Personal and workgroup incivility: impact on work and health outcomes

This article develops a theoretical model of the impact of workplace incivility on employees' occupational and psychological well-being. In Study 1, the authors tested the model on 1,158 employees, finding that satisfaction with work and supervisors, as well as mental health, partially mediated effects of personal incivility on turnover intentions and physical health; this process did not vary by gender. Study 2 cross-validated and extended these results on an independent sample of 271 employees, showing negative effects of workgroup incivility that emerged over and above the impact of personal incivility. In both studies, all results held while controlling for general job stress. Implications for organizational science and practice are discussed.     

Stress and smoking in adolescence: a test of directional hypotheses.

The authors conducted a comparative test of the hypotheses that (a) stress is an etiological factor for smoking and (b) cigarette smoking causes increases in stress (A. C. Parrott, 1999). Participants were a sample of 1,364 adolescents, initially surveyed at mean age 12.4 years and followed at 3 yearly intervals. Measures of negative affect, negative life events, and cigarette smoking were obtained at all 4 assessments. Latent growth modeling showed negative affect was related to increase in smoking over time; there was no path from initial smoking to change in negative affect. Comparable results were found for negative life events, with no evidence for reverse causation. Results are discussed with respect to theoretical models of nicotine effects and implications for prevention.     

CHILD LABOUR: AN UNDERDEVELOPED TOPIC IN PSYCHOLOGY

Certain issues concerning child labour are raised: Why do psychologists do so little research on children working, despite the fact that it is widespread? Does work harm the child's development or deprive the child of necessary opportunities for play? How should research on child labour be conducted?     

Health Beliefs and Intentions: Predictors of Return Compliance in a Tuberculosis Detection Drive1

A prospective design was employed to study the ability of various factors to predict return compliance in a tuberculosis detection drive. Five hundred fiftythree participants in the drive were asked to complete a questionnaire tapping their views of TB (based on the Health Belief Model) and their intentions to return for the recommended skin test reading. Behavioral intention was found to be an important predictor of return rates, and the inclusion of the HBM variables aided in the classification noncompliers. Practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Relationships between locus of control,health value,and preventive health behaviors among women

This study examines the relationships between locus of control expectancies, rated health value, and reported participation in preventive health behaviors among a healthy sample of undergraduate women. The prediction that participation in preventive health behaviors would be a joint function of an internal health-related locus of control belief and holding health in high value was not supported. Instead, individuals who valued their health reported participating in a greater number of health-enhancing behaviors compared to those who valued their health less. Respondents' scores on a health value scale in combination with their rated health status proved to be better predictors of health behaviors than their locus of control beliefs. Limitations of locus of control research with young, healthy individuals are discussed and further investigation into the utility and validity of health value scales is recommended.     

Temperament and adolescent substance use: an epigenetic approach to risk and protection

We outline an epigenetic approach to understanding the relation between simple dispositional characteristics and complex problem behaviors, with a focus on adolescent substance use. Epigenetic theory predicts that effects of temperament are mediated through self-control and risk-taking tendency, isomorphic attributes that are based in temperament but represent developmental elaborations of these characteristics. We describe how the research program has confirmed predictions from epigenetic theory, addressed additional questions embodied in the theory, and clarified the multiple pathways from temperament characteristics to life stress, social relationships, and motives for substance use. In a final section, we discuss implications for the study of problem behavior and psychopathology.     

Does augmented feedback from pedometers increase adults' walking behavior?

This study investigated whether feedback from pedometers motivated adults to increase their walking behavior. Participants (n =26) were enrolled in one of two 8-wk. "Walking for Fitness" classes. The study used a crossover design, such that Group 1 wore pedometers for the first 3 weeks (Feedback Condition) and sealed "disguised" pedometers for the last 3 weeks (No-feedback Condition). The order of feedback was reversed for Group 2. Analysis indicated that (a) neither group increased their walking behavior significantly over time and, (b) interactions between groups were not significant at Week 3 or 6, indicating that groups did not respond differently to feedback from the pedometers. If a motivational effect from pedometers exists, it may be small, dissipate before 3 wk., only work in combination with goal setting, or only motivate certain types of individuals.