Some pioneering work that began as an attempt to discover ways to increase production efficiency led to the founding of the human relations movement in industry and to the development of motivational skills and tools for managers. In 1927 researchers were involved in determining the optimum amount of lighting, temperature, and humidity (with lighting being considered the most important) for the assembly of electronic components at Western Electric. The researchers found that lighting had no consistent effect on production. In fact, production sometimes increased when lighting was reduced to the level of ordinary moonlight! The important part of this experiment began when two Harvard researchers, Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger, were brought in to investigate these unexpected results further. They found that workers were responding not to the level of lighting but to the fact that they were being observed by the experimenters.

    This phenomenon came to be known as the Hawthorne effect since the experiments were conducted at the Western Electric Hawthorne plant. This was the first documented and widely published evidence of the psychological effects on doing work, and it led to the first serious effort aimed at examining psychological and social factors in the workplace. Further experiments were continued for five years. Generally, the researchers concluded from their experiments that economic motivation (pay) was not the sole source of productivity and, in some cases, not even the most important source. Through interviews and test results, the researchers focused on the effects of work attitudes, supervision, and the peer group and other social forces, on productivity.

    Their findings laid the groundwork for modern motivation theory, and the study of human factors on the job, which continues to this day in such common practices as selection and training, establishing favorable work conditions, counseling, and personnel operations. The contributions of this experiment shifted the focus of human motivation from economics to a multifaceted approach including psychological and social forces.

The most significant finding of the original research was

(a)    lighting had no consistent effect on production

(b)   production sometimes increased when lighting was reduced to the level of ordinary moonlight.

(c)   that lighting was no more important than the other factors of temperature and humidity.

(d)   the results were unexpected and confusing.

答案是：A

Why does the author say that the important part of this research began when two Harvard researchers were brought in (lines 8-9)

(a)    Until then the research had been poorly conducted

(b)   They took a multifaceted approach

(c)   The results of the original research did not make sense

(d)   Harvard has a good reputation in conducting research

答案是：B

The research became known as the “Hawthorne effect” because

(a)    it was the name of the plant where the study was conducted

(b)   It was the name suggested by the Harvard researchers

(c)   It was the name of the principal experimenter

(d)   There were hawthorne plants growing at Western Electric where the study was conducted

答案是：A

Part of the reason for the change in focus from economics to a more multifaceted approach to the psychological effects on doing work was

(a)    due to the recognition that workers should be happy at work in order to maintain high productivity

(b)   a general conclusion that pay was sometimes not the most important factor

(c)   because the Hawthorne study continued for so long

(d)   because the workers requested it

答案是：B

Which of the following is NOT true about the Hawthorne study

(a)    It was the first documented evidence of the psychological effects on doing work

(b)   The Hawthorne study continued for five years

(c)   They found that workers responded not to the level of lighting but to the fact that other work conditions were not favorable

(d)   The study changed the focus from economics to a multifaceted approach

答案是：C

TOEFL高频词——www.teacherzhaoli.com有下载

　　pioneer                n. 先驱, 倡导者, 先遣兵, 先锋

　　efficiency             n. 效率, 功效（次数：5）                         

　　humidity               n. 湿气, 潮湿, 湿度<美>沼泽中的肥沃高地（次数：3）

　　component              n. 成分（次数：6）

　　consistent             adj. 一致的, 调和的, 坚固的, [数、统]相容的（次数：3）

　　conduct                n. 行为, 操行（次数：8）

　　psychological          adj. 心理(上)的（次数：2）

　　psychologist           n. 心理学者（次数：11）

　　psychology             n. 心理学, 心理状态（次数：4）

　　factor                 n. 因素, 要素, 因数, 代理人（次数：32）

　　motivation             n. 动机（次数：2）

　　shift                  n. 移动, 轮班, 移位, 变化, 办法, vt. 替换, 转移, 改变, 推卸, 变速（次数：10）
 

　　（赵丽，主讲科目：SAT TOEFL  考研  CET6  CET4  NMET  UC5500  UC8000  GMAT GRE；新东方教育科技集团十周年校庆-特别贡献奖获得者，2001-2005各年度新东方教育科技集团优秀老师，原广州新东方教师委员会执行主任，新东方人称“词汇王”，独创的教学方法和理念，培养数十万学子。出版书籍：《新东方大学词汇高分突破》世界图书出版社 畅销书 2004年9月上市 2005年2月第二次印刷，《新东方大学四级词汇串记》新东方大愚文化传播公司 畅销书，《点评四级历年真题》新东方大愚文化传播公司，《点评六级历年真题》新东方大愚文化传播公司，《SAT词汇串记》新东方大愚文化传播公司 即将出版；出版软件：《新东方大学英语词汇课堂》 新东方明日科技出品 经典畅销软件，《新东方大学四级30天90分突破》词汇部分，《新东方大学英语六级40天突破》词汇部分。）

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