Final answer:
The Hawthorne effect describes the modification of subjects' behaviors due to their awareness of being part of a research study. It is critical for researchers to minimize their presence to reduce this effect, but some impact is often unavoidable.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tendency of study subjects to modify their behavior when they are aware that they are being observed is known as the Hawthorne effect. This occurs as subjects become self-conscious and alter their natural behavior due to the awareness of being part of a study. For instance, if a researcher informs students that their tutoring sessions are being observed to measure effectiveness, the students may change their approach and not behave as they typically would.
It is crucial for researchers to be as unobtrusive as possible to minimize the impact of the Hawthorne effect. However, some degree of this effect is often unavoidable since ethical research requires subjects to be aware of the observation. Observer bias is another concern in research studies, potentially impacting the data collected. To counter this, clear criteria for behavior recording are established, and the use of multiple observers can help assess the consistency of observations.