A Famous Series Of Studies, Known As The Hawthorne Studies GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

A famous series of studies, known as the Hawthorne Studies, was the first to explore psychological factors that affect work performance. These studies attempted to investigate the relationship between the level of lighting in the workplace and worker productivity. Researchers divided workers into two similar groups – a test group, who were subjected to changes in lighting, and a control group, whose lighting remained constant. No other changes were made. When the test group's lighting was improved, the group’s productivity increased. But when lighting conditions were made worse, there was also a tendency for productivity to increase in the test group. To compound the mystery, the control group's output also rose, even though the group experienced no changes in lighting. Something besides lighting was influencing the workers' performance. In a new set of experiments, a new test group was placed in a separate room and a number of variables – wages, rest periods, and the length of the workday – were altered in all directions. Again, performance tended to increase over time. The researchers decided that a complex chain of attitudes had caused the productivity increases. Because they had been singled out for the experiments, workers in the test group had developed a group pride that motivated them to improve their work performance. Sympathetic supervision had further reinforced their motivation. The researchers concluded that individuals in a group perform better if they believed that their group was paid special attention. This phenomenon was subsequently labeled the Hawthorne Effect.

“A famous series of studies, known as the Hawthorne Studies”- is a passage for the GMAT that addresses reading comprehension. Candidates must have a firm understanding of GMAT reading comprehension in English. This GMAT reading comprehension section consists of three comprehension questions. The purpose of the GMAT Reading Comprehension questions is to assess a candidate's capacity to understand, evaluate, and apply knowledge or ideas. By responding to the GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions section, candidates can actively practice.

Solutions and Explanation

1. The passage suggests that the Hawthorne Effect may explain the observation based on which of the following, if true?

1. The control group engaged in their regular work under regular settings.
2. The control group engaged in work that wasn’t affected because of poor lighting.
3. The control group engaged in work that could be performed better in improved lighting.
4. The control group and the test group received the same attention by researchers.
5. The control group and the test group had equally skilled workers.

2. According to the passage, the researchers ruled out an explanation for the increase in productivity of the test group due to each of the following EXCEPT

1. an increase in wages
2. a decrease in illumination
3. a change in rest periods
4. an increase in collective dignity
5. a decrease in the workday

3. Which of the following can be inferred to demonstrate the Hawthorne Effect as mentioned in the passage?

1. An individual from a large team of athletes setting up a world record soon after the team’s training
2. A chess prodigy winning an international title after receiving mentorship from a team of leading coaches
3. A group of college students working on a class assignment and ranking first among all groups in the class
4. A group of filmmakers collaborating with one another to co-direct a large-budget movie
5. A crew of an airline improving customer service ratings after being featured in the airline's monthly magazine

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