What is the term used to describe when workers change their usual activities because they know they are being observed?

The term that describes the phenomenon where workers alter their behaviors or activities due to the awareness of being observed is known as reactivity. This concept stems from the idea that individuals may behave differently when they know they are under scrutiny, often leading to changes in their performance or actions that may not reflect their usual behavior.

For instance, if employees know that their productivity is being monitored, they might increase their output temporarily or modify their work habits to appear more favorable to the observer, which can skew the data being collected on their typical performance. Understanding reactivity is essential in organizational settings as it influences how data is interpreted and how assessments of performance should be approached.

The other terms, while relevant in different contexts, do not specifically capture this behavior. Attribution relates to how individuals explain the causes of events or behaviors, feedback pertains to information about performance that can help individuals improve, and motivation is about the internal or external factors that drive individuals to act in certain ways. Hence, reactivity is the most accurate term in this scenario.