Was there Really a Hawthorne Effect at the Hawthorne Plant? An Analysis of the Original Illumination Experiments
The “Hawthorne effect,” a concept familiar to all students of social science, has had a profound influence both on the direction and design of research over the past 75 years. The Hawthorne effect is named after a landmark set of studies conducted at the Hawthorne plant in the 1920s. The first and most influential of these studies is known as the “Illumination Experiment.” Both academics … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: John A. List, Steven D. Levitt | Source: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) | Subject: Organizational Behavior
The Science of Economics
In the study “What Do Laboratory Experiments Tell Us About the Real World?” University of Chicago professors Steven D. Levitt and John A. List address the challenges of interpreting experimental work in economics by constructing a model to help shed light on experimental results that likely are generalizable. While the basic strategy underlying lab experiments in the physical sciences and economics is similar, the fact … [ Read more ]
Content: Article | Authors: John A. List, Steven D. Levitt | Source: Capital Ideas | Subject: Economics