SynthesisSystematic reviews2026
Evaluating the impact of video cameras on participant behaviour in research: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Systematic reviews, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Subject-specific stability of toothbrushing performance: insights from dynamic time warping and phenotype analysis.Clinical oral investigations · 2026Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHuman behavioural research is often clouded with the risk that study results may be contaminated by the participant's awareness that they are being observed. Direct observation by a person is associated with this phenomenon, but limited data exists evaluating this Hawthorne Effect when less invasive video recording devices are used. Here we present the first quantitative analysis to identify the extent to which this occurs, based on self-reported behavioural change when cameras are used.
methodsSearches of MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were performed on 01/12/2022. No limitations were set. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who changed their behaviour due to awareness of being recorded. Two blinded reviewers performed screening in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. I
resultsPreliminary searches identified 1728 publications. After screening, twenty-eight studies were included in the final analysis involving 2586 participants. Nine publications were suitable for quantitative analysis of the primary outcome. Pooled analysis using a random-effects model demonstrated the proportion of participants who reported behavioural change because of the camera was 15% (95% CI 0.08, 0.23) [I
conclusionThe presence of a video camera may cause behavioural change in a small proportion of study participants. Cameras may cause a much lower rate of reactivity compared to a direct human observer. The heterogeneity and high risk of bias of the publications highlight the need for further high-quality research into this subject area. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022370498.
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