Breaking Bad — Experimental Design
Exploiting Heisenberg with a Good Deal of Uncertainty
This article is about the understanding and impact of the Observer Effect. The Observer Effect is not directly related to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. It is rather analogous.
Werner was a physicist. Walter was a chemist. One was a fictional character who borrowed his name from the other. Both men offer us a means to better understand and remember observer bias. And both men could definitely rock a coat and hat.
The uncertainty principle also called the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, or Indeterminacy Principle, articulated (1927) by the German physicist Werner Heisenberg, that the position and the velocity of an object cannot both be measured exactly, at the same time, even in theory.
Put in more simple terms, the behavior of a particle is changed by the mere act of observation, often in unpredictable ways. The Observer (or Hawthorne) Effect makes a similar claim about people.
The Hawthorne Effect (also referred to as the observer effect) is a type of reactivity in which individuals modify or improve an aspect of their behavior in response to their awareness of being observed.
In Breaking Bad, Walter White uses the pseudonym Heisenberg for his alter ego. When Walter dons his iconic coat and hat, his personality and behavior transform. Trying to secretly run a meth empire while hiding it from your friends and fellow teachers is likely to inspire some extreme shifts in your behavior.
Studies tell us that shifts are common even from the most non-invasive observation. People who know they are being watched will change their behavior in varying ways. Sometimes this is further exaggerated by a concept known as Observation Bias.
Like the characters in Breaking Bad, not only does Walter’s personality change when he assumes his alter ego but the people who interact with him change their behavior as well. In science, this is a part of Observation Bias. Those who are doing the observation often give unknowing queues to the participants.
Impact on Experimental Design
In the end, behavioral analysis should be informed by the scientific method. But the scientific method is more the realm of chemists and physicists, where test and control is an easier task to manage. Behavioral test and control groups are nearly always biased.
In this short article, it would be impossible to articulate a complete methodology for overcoming the issues faced in behavioral analysis. The Scientific Method is certainly necessary, but not sufficient. Being aware of the impact of the Observer Effect is also necessary. I hope this article was sufficient to help you understand and remember it. Now…
