title: The Hawthorne effect and energy awareness.
abstract: The feeling of being observed or merely participating in an experiment can affect individuals' behavior. Referred to as the Hawthorne effect, this inconsistently observed phenomenon can both provide insight into individuals' behavior and confound the interpretation of experimental manipulations. Here, we pursue both topics in examining how the Hawthorne effect emerges in a large field experiment focused on residential consumers' electricity use. These consumers received five postcards notifying, and then reminding, them of their participation in a study of household electricity use. We found evidence for a Hawthorne (study participation) effect, seen in a reduction of their electricity use--even though they received no information, instruction, or incentives to change. Responses to a follow-up survey suggested that the effect reflected heightened awareness of energy consumption. Consistent with that interpretation, the treatment effect vanished when the intervention ended.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Social and Decision Sciences and Engineering and Public Policy, and Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Baruch
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fischhoff
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krishnamurti
authors.forename: Fallaw
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sowell
mesh_terms: D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004467:Economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015987:Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic; D004560:Electricity; D006801:Humans
keywords: behavioral decision research; electricity consumption; energy conservation; environmental decision making