I spent over two decades as a research scientist. I published in grown-up, peer-reviewed journals and have letter both after my name and in front of it! And I was a social scientist. And that means, amongst other things, that I’m painfully familiar with a number of issues which plague research. One is called the Pregnant Man Syndrome (but let’s move hastily on!) and another is the Hawthorne Effect.
The Hawthorne Effect says, basically, that the process of studying something changes it, so that it’s hard to get an idea of what something is really like. For example, I do a lot of work supporting people as their organisation is restructured so that they need to develop some emotional resilience (coping tools): if I do a survey of the people in the workplace and include the question “Are you stressed?” I’m likely to cause some people thing think of themselves as stressed when they didn’t before I asked the question. In other words, asking the question about stress biases the answers.
So it is with presentation skills training using videos.
Seriously.
Anyone who doesn’t think people change how they ‘perform’ when there’s a camera in the room needs to try it. Any anyone who insists that they don’t change after that is either masssssssively experienced or about as in touch with reality as the drunk driver who says that they actually drive better after four pints of beer.
Nope, you just drive so badly you don’t notice your mistakes…
Okay, I’m over-stating but you get the picture. (There are times when it’s a good thing, certainly, but I’m concentrating on the bad here!)
So unless you’re going to be presenting to a video camera, why practise with a video camera?!
Actually there is one time I can think of that makes the camera handy – and I was reminded of it when I watched Rory Bremner being interviewed on the tv this morning (hey, I was at the gym and it was on the machine, okay!?!). I remember him saying a long time ago that one of the ways he got his impressions sorted out was to watch video recordings of his ‘victim’ played at high speed. That way, he pointed out, visual habits became much more obvious much more quickly… and in a presentation almost any visual habit is a bad habit.
Essentially if the audience notices it, it’s a bad thing. Why? Because anything that distracts from the message needs to be pared down if at all possible.
I simply could not disagree more. We have filmed hundreds of people rehearsing and have found it valuable to them in pretty much every case.
Why?
1. People are very stressed about speaking in public.
Being filmed is stressful and after a good sequence of preparation and several rehearsals they are ready to deal with the stress. It prepares them for stress.
As an aside, we often find the presence of people’s bosses is the MOST stressful situation, not filming. They then always feel the real thing isn’t as bad. Hence they are more relaxed and do a better job.
2. People learn very valuable things about themselves from watching their performance.
Firstly they always notice the irrelevant things – how they hold their hands,or if they say Um a lot. Then when we help them see past that they start to notice the important things. They say things like “Why do I talk so fast” “I thought I was more cheerful than that.” “Why do I look so serious”
They find out what they are really like.
Human being’s natural optimism seems to make us all feel we are “nicer” than we actually are. When we watch ourselves we learn, in nearly every case, we need to project our personality more. This is an absolutely vital lesson.
3. People really like being filmed. They say they don’t. They fib. If we are short of time and film a rehearsal and suggest we don’t have time to play back, suddenly more time is found. If we really don’t have time and post the rehearsal on the web the clips will be viewed by everyone within a couple of hours.
4. In many other fields – like elite sport – is that you must train under pressure for the big event.
Hi Bill – thanks for coming by!
1 – you’re right here… people are stressed when they’re presenting, very often. I can think of other ways of ‘upping the ante’ in rehearsals though ;) Rehearsing in front of a boss is one way, but again, I prefer to keep things informal and relaxed – people learn better that way. Our approach is to give them the tools and techniques to deal with the stress.
Not sure this was the point of my rant though….?
2 – people certainly can learn valuable things from watching themselves, I agree, but all too often they change what they do, in our experience. I think we’re just going to have to agree to disagree here :)
When I ranted, I was thinking in particular about recording people when they’re learning their rehearsals and practicing them – particularly at the early stages of their careers as presenters (advanced presenters are a different thing altogether)… if you’re talking about recording actual performances, that’s a different matter altogether: in those situations, people are performing for the audience not the camera, so long as you’ve got your equipment set up right, of course!
If that’s what you’ve got in mind, I’m with you.
You mentioned that people noticed their bad habits… I had thought I was getting at something like that when I was talking about Rory Bremner’s tip. Sorry if I wasn’t altogether clear.
3 – You’re right, they fib. Of course they like being filmed (some of them at least). That doesn’t mean they don’t change what they do when they’re filmed, though. :)
4 – Again you’re right. It’s just that our experience is that filming (most) people changes how they behave. I wasn’t talking about nerves and pressure so I’m not 100% sure I understand why you made that comment, sorry…!
I think we do disagree.
We usually shoot the 2nd rehearsal.
The first is the stagger-through, the second where they are approaching getting the content right.
The third is for them to put it all together having used feedback from the filming to improve content and performance.
Then if time allows, a fourth.
Works for us
Hi Bill.
Cool. Would love to pop in and see the way you work next time I have to come Down South… Coffee’s on me! :)
Hi, thanks for the time you spent writing, though I disagree on more than one point.
1) Hawthorne effect applies to people, not just anything*. It’s about gaming the metric, but also about caring, because other care. It ties closely to placebo effect – you can get better because (oversimplification) the nurse and doctor are nice, treat you well and try on your behalf. And this means it’s WORTH doing it… because you will get better.
2) Public speakers should speak with many audiences prior to actual event. Someone close and trusted, someone with attention to detail, a domain expert, etc. Why? For the same reasons you want to see yourself filmed BEFORE actually presenting.
3) And seeing and hearing oneself speaking is a great experience. This gives you feel of time, makes you hear yourself NOT with your inner ear (“so I sound like that when I make that joke? nobody will laugh!”) and makes you notices the body language.
4) If I record myself for the sake of practice I’m not nervous in front of camera the same way I am when I am being recorded by someone else for his enjoyment (or so he can later publish this).
* minor nitpick: I can study sugar and it won’t change. The way you phrased it suggested it would.
thanks
LAFK
*Minor nitpick response… How do you know? That’s kinda the point of the HE :)