Answer:
The notion that performance might improve as a simple function of being studied or watched is known as the Hawthorne Effect. This phenomenon was first discovered in the 1920s by researchers at the Hawthorne Works in Chicago. The researchers found that when workers were observed, their productivity increased, even when no changes were made to the actual working conditions. This suggested that the mere fact of being observed was enough to motivate workers to work harder. The Hawthorne Effect has since been observed in different contexts, from sports teams to classrooms, illustrating how being studied or watched can lead to improved performance.