What is Monitoring of outcome(s) of behavior without feedback?
This technique records the outcomes that the target behavior produces without providing that information back to the person as feedback. The monitoring serves research, evaluation, or organizational purposes.
How it works
Unlike self-monitoring, this captures outcome data without closing the feedback loop. It is used in research to measure behavior change effects and in organizations where outcomes are tracked for reporting. The Hawthorne effect may still apply if people know outcomes are being measured.
Applied example
A clinical trial tracking participants’ blood pressure monthly to evaluate medication effectiveness uses outcome monitoring without feedback. Participants know their blood pressure is measured but receive results only at the study’s conclusion.
Why it matters
Monitoring outcomes without feedback isolates the measurement function from the motivational function, useful for research design and understanding which monitoring aspects drive change.
