observation

The Hawthorne Effect is a type of behavioral reactivity in which individuals change their behavior simply because they know they are being observed. In UX research, this creates a subtle but powerful distortion: the moment a session begins, the behavior you are trying to study is no longer entirely natural. Participants become more attentive, more deliberate, and often more careful than they would be in their everyday interactions. As a result, what looks like a smooth and successful experience in testing can quietly mask the friction and confusion that exist in the real world.