Citation

McCambridge J, Wilson A, Attia J, Weaver N, Kypri K. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 2019; 108: 102-109.

Affiliation

Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia. Electronic address: kypros.kypri@newcastle.edu.au.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jclinepi.2018.11.016

PMID

30458263

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that participants who know the behavioural focus of a study and are thus aware that a particular behaviour is being studied, will modify that behaviour, independently of any possible effect of assessment, thereby dismantling a Hawthorne effect into two putative components. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We undertook a three-arm individually randomised trial online among students: Group A (control) were told they were completing a lifestyle survey; Group B were told the focus of the survey was alcohol consumption; Group C additionally answered 20 questions on their alcohol use and its consequences before answering the same lifestyle questions as Groups A and B. Non-drinkers were excluded and all groups were aware they would be followed-up after one month.

RESULTS: Outcome data were obtained for 4583/5478 trial participants (84% follow-up rate). There were no differences between the three groups on primary (overall volume consumed) or secondary outcome measures (drinking frequency and amount per typical occasion) in the intervening four weeks.

CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence that any form of Hawthorne effect exists in relation to self-reported alcohol consumption online among university students in usual research practice. Attention to study contexts is warranted for investigating research participation effects.

Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

Hawthorne effect; Internet; alcohol; reactivity; research participation effects; students