Jim McCambridge1, Amanda Wilson2, John Attia2, Natasha Weaver2, Kypros Kypri3. 1. Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Health Sciences, University of York, UK. 2. Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. 3. Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: kypros.kypri@newcastle.edu.au.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that participants who know the behavioral focus of a study and are thus aware that a particular behavior is being studied will modify that behavior, 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 randomized 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; and group C additionally answered 20 questions on their alcohol use and its consequences before answering the same lifestyle questions as Groups A and B. Nondrinkers were excluded, and all groups were aware they would be followed up after 1 month. RESULTS: Outcome data were obtained for 4,583 of 5,478 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 4 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.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: We tested the hypothesis that participants who know the behavioral focus of a study and are thus aware that a particular behavior is being studied will modify that behavior, 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 randomized 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; and group C additionally answered 20 questions on their alcohol use and its consequences before answering the same lifestyle questions as Groups A and B. Nondrinkers were excluded, and all groups were aware they would be followed up after 1 month. RESULTS: Outcome data were obtained for 4,583 of 5,478 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 4 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.
Authors: Victoria Manning; Hugh Piercy; Joshua Benjamin Bernard Garfield; Stuart Gregory Clark; Mah Noor Andrabi; Dan Ian Lubman Journal: JMIR Mhealth Uhealth Date: 2021-12-10 Impact factor: 4.773
Authors: Nicolas Bertholet; Elodie Schmutz; Véronique S Grazioli; Mohamed Faouzi; Jennifer McNeely; Gerhard Gmel; Jean-Bernard Daeppen; John A Cunningham Journal: Trials Date: 2020-02-17 Impact factor: 2.279