Day 33 - Effected

The Hawthorne effect is a sociological term for the form of reactivity whereby subjects improve an aspect of their behavior being experimentally measured simply in response to the fact that they are being studied, not in response to any particular experimental manipulation. The term was coined in 1955 by Henry A. Landsberger when analyzing older experiments from 1924-1932 at the Hawthorne Works factory. Hawthorne Works had commissioned a study to see if its workers would become more productive in higher or lower levels of light. The workers' productivity seemed to improve when changes were made and slumped when the study was concluded. It was suggested that the productivity gain was due to the motivational effect of the interest being shown in them. Although illumination research of workplace lighting formed the basis of the Hawthorne effect, it has since been applied to many forms of research and the term is used to identify any type of short-lived increase in productivity.

This has made me think of how the Hawthorne Effect can be used for positive change in one’s life. In talking to a friend who attends Weight Watchers meetings, she finds that they are imperative to the success of the program. I wonder if they have a study on people who attend meetings versus those who do it online and the success of these subjects in comparison. I haven’t made that many changes in my life since starting my 40 days, I already went to yoga 3-4 times a week and ate a healthy diet beforehand. However, there are small things I was struggling with that I have now conquered (such as giving up wheat) and I wonder if it is the structure of having a weekly group workshop that has pushed me through. I am not really a “group” person or big on “sharing with the group” but I do enjoy seeing them every week and hearing about their journeys as well. We are all so different, it’s not about comparison, but more so about companions. It makes me wonder how things will change once I sign off at the end of next week, if I am really just experiencing that short-lived increase in productivity. I do feel that this experience has been invaluable and provided me with a specific timeframe, a deadline, to prove to myself that I could improve my way of life even more, and it truly has. Even if a person carries extensive knowledge on yoga, nutrition, health, ayurveda, sometimes all you need is a group of people to share that yellow brick road with.