Reactivity (psychology)

Reactivity is a phenomenon that occurs when individuals alter their performance or behavior due to the awareness that they are being observed.^[1] The change may be positive or negative, and depends on the situation. It is a significant threat to a research study's internal validity and is typically controlled for using blind experiment designs.

There are several forms of reactivity. The Hawthorne effect occurs when research study participants know they are being studied and alter their performance because of the attention they receive from the experimenters. The John Henry effect, a specific form of Hawthorne effect, occurs when the participants in the control group alter their behavior out of awareness that they are in the control group.

Reactivity is not limited to changes in behaviour in relation to being merely observed; it can also refer to situations where individuals alter their behavior to conform to the expectations of the observer. An experimenter effect occurs when the experimenters subtly communicate their expectations to the participants, who alter their behavior to conform to these expectations. The Pygmalion effect occurs when students alter their behavior to meet teacher expectations. Both experimenter effects and Pygmalion effects can be caused by bias and stereotyping, as demonstrated by studies involving stereotype threat.

See also

• Bradley effect
• Demand characteristics
• Observer-expectancy effect
• Social desirability bias

References

1. Heppner, P.P., Wampold, B.E., & Kivlighan, D.M. (2008). Research Design in Counseling (3rd ed.). Thomson. p. 331.