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The Hawthorne Effect

9/18/1999 5:52 PM
Lee	The Hawthorne Effect Note: I've posted this on the WeberVST Amp BBS discussion area also but since the audiences are mostly different folks, I thought I'd put it here too to stir the pot. Back in the 30s, some industrial engineers wanted to study the productivity effects of lighting on workers in a Westinhouse plant in Hawthorne, Illinois. The workers knew that they were being studied. First the engineers increased the lighting and production went up. Then they started reducing the lights and production continued to go up! This strange result became known as the "Hawthorne effect." The workers worked harder because they knew they were being studied, not because of changes in light levels. I think a variation of the Hawthorne effect takes place every time someone makes a change to their amp. They expect to hear a difference and so they do hear a difference! Obviously some changes do make a difference (and could usually be measured in engineering units) but I would be willing to wager that many changes people think they hear are all in their mind. The recent nonsense (on the Weber board) about "polarity" of coupling caps comes to mind. I am also skeptical that, in a true double-blind test, anyone could hear the difference between different brands of same value caps, between carbon comp vs. carbon film resistors, between different 4558 ICs, etc. Some of these claims are as ridiculous as the high-end audio crowd claims that result in them spending tens of thousands of dollars in search of that elusive sonic Nirvana. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Lee

9/18/1999 5:52 PM

Lee

The Hawthorne Effect

Note: I've posted this on the WeberVST Amp BBS discussion area also but since the audiences are mostly different folks, I thought I'd put it here too to stir the pot.

Back in the 30s, some industrial engineers wanted to study the productivity effects of lighting on workers in a Westinhouse plant in Hawthorne, Illinois. The workers knew that they were being studied. First the engineers increased the lighting and production went up. Then they started reducing the lights and production continued to go up! This strange result became known as the "Hawthorne effect." The workers worked harder because they knew they were being studied, not because of changes in light levels.

I think a variation of the Hawthorne effect takes place every time someone makes a change to their amp. They expect to hear a difference and so they do hear a difference! Obviously some changes do make a difference (and could usually be measured in engineering units) but I would be willing to wager that many changes people think they hear are all in their mind. The recent nonsense (on the Weber board) about "polarity" of coupling caps comes to mind. I am also skeptical that, in a true double-blind test, anyone could hear the difference between different brands of same value caps, between carbon comp vs. carbon film resistors, between different 4558 ICs, etc. Some of these claims are as ridiculous as the high-end audio crowd claims that result in them spending tens of thousands of dollars in search of that elusive sonic Nirvana.

Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Lee

Replies:

Ted Matsumura Lee, I agree that this phe... -- 9/18/1999 6:44 PM
Mike B I've found that I sound a lot bette... -- 9/19/1999 1:55 AM
SpeedRacer It's also good to keep in mind that... -- 9/19/1999 1:03 PM
Steve A. Lee: &nb... -- 9/21/1999 2:06 AM