Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24275499›Full record

SynthesisJournal of clinical epidemiology2014

Systematic review of the Hawthorne effect: new concepts are needed to study research participation effects.

Jim McCambridge, John Witton, Diana R Elbourne

7 registry-linked trialsOpen access · hybridAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of clinical epidemiology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 7 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 1,048 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1,048citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
60.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02998125 completednot on this mapstarted 2017, after this paper: background citation

A Psychometric Analysis of the Arabic Version of Oxford Knee Score Before and After Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Middle East Population and an Exploration of Outcomes Post-total Knee Arthroplasty in the Middle East

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of SalfordRan2017 to 2020Enrolled116ConditionsTotal Knee ArthroplastyArmsTotal knee arthroplasty
NCT03263182 completednot on this mapstarted 2017, after this paper: background citation

Impact of the Safe Childbirth Checklist on Health Worker Childbirth Practices in Luapula Province of Zambia

TypeobservationalSponsorClinton Health Access Initiative Inc.Ran2017 to 2018Enrolled159ConditionsMaternal Death, Newborn DeathArmsIntroduction of the Safe Childbirth Checklist
NCT04158908 completednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Giving Information Systematically and Transparently in Lung and GI Cancer

TypeobservationalSponsorWeill Medical College of Cornell UniversityRan2020 to 2020Enrolled20ConditionsCritical Illness, Oncology, CommunicationArmsOncolo-GIST
NCT04179305 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Giving Information Systematically and Transparently in Lung and GI Cancer Phase 2

TypeinterventionalSponsorWeill Medical College of Cornell UniversityRan2020 to 2023Enrolled37ConditionsCritical Illness, Oncology, CommunicationArmsOncolo-GIST, Usual Care Arm
NCT06182475 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Increasing Equity in Live Donor Kidney Transplantation Through Effective Patient-Provider Communication

TypeinterventionalSponsorTemple UniversityRan2026 to 2027Enrolled70ConditionsKidney Disease, Chronic, End Stage Renal Disease, Kidney ReplacementArmsEPPComm Provider Training
NCT06229444 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Predict + Protect: A Randomized Controlled Trial Exploring the Effectiveness of a Predictive Health Education Intervention on the Adoption of Protective Behaviors Related to Influenza-like Illness (ILI)

TypeinterventionalSponsorEvidation HealthRan2024 to 2024Enrolled17,043ConditionsInfluenza, Influenza A, Influenza B, COVID-19ArmsILI Predictive Alerts, Reactive Content, and Proactive Content, ILI Predictive Alerts, Reactive Content, Proactive Content, No Intervention
NCT07280325 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Moxie: A Self-management Education and Support Program Using Advertising Principles to Reduce Rehospitalization for Cardiovascular-related Illnesses

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of CalgaryRan2026 to 2029Enrolled9,000ConditionsChronic Kidney Disease, Diabetes (DM), Heart Disease, StrokeArmsMoxie SMES Letters, Facilitated Relay Letter
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1,048 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 2,567 citations in OpenAlex.

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  15. Evaluation of a Remote Therapeutic Monitoring Device and Integrated Care Platform in Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2026
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988 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Jim McCambridgeDepartment of Social & Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 15-17 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9SH, UK. Electronic address: Jim.McCambridge@lshtm.ac.uk.
John WittonNational Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 4 Windsor Walk, London SE5 8AF, UK.
Diana R ElbourneDepartment of Medical Statistics, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
King's College London · GBLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GBUniversity of London · GB

Funding

Wellcome Trust WT086516MA
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis study aims to (1) elucidate whether the Hawthorne effect exists, (2) explore under what conditions, and (3) estimate the size of any such effect. STUDY DESIGN AND

settingThis systematic review summarizes and evaluates the strength of available evidence on the Hawthorne effect. An inclusive definition of any form of research artifact on behavior using this label, and without cointerventions, was adopted.

resultsNineteen purposively designed studies were included, providing quantitative data on the size of the effect in eight randomized controlled trials, five quasiexperimental studies, and six observational evaluations of reporting on one's behavior by answering questions or being directly observed and being aware of being studied. Although all but one study was undertaken within health sciences, study methods, contexts, and findings were highly heterogeneous. Most studies reported some evidence of an effect, although significant biases are judged likely because of the complexity of the evaluation object.

conclusionConsequences of research participation for behaviors being investigated do exist, although little can be securely known about the conditions under which they operate, their mechanisms of effects, or their magnitudes. New concepts are needed to guide empirical studies.

Indexed as

Human ExperimentationBehaviorHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicResearch DesignResearch SubjectsAssessmentHawthorne effectObservationReactivityResearch methodsResearch participation

Identifiers

PMID24275499
PMCPMC3969247
OpenAlexW1984982865

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

and 1 more above

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.