Evaluation research: A psychological perspective.

Wortman, Paul M.

doi:10.1037/h0076639

Cited by 65 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…(d) A number of different family patterns (age of children, number of children, behavior management) and demographic variables (SES, politics, religion) may be associated with the use of different child care modalities, and these patterns and variables probably interact with child care modality to influence child development. For example, family size and birth order have been recently described as determinants of intellectual ability (Zajonc & Markus, 1975)) and some data from the present study support this position.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…It seems vital, and indeed a first priority for those concerned with child and family programs, to identify those mediating processes (Deutsch, 1973) associated with poverty that are linked to specific deficits in child development. It is also important to consider and compare the ameliorative capacities of programs that offer services (such as day care) to the poor to augment deficits, as opposed to programs that seek to make people less poor and provide alternatives by directly subsidizing their income (Ryan, 1971 ;Wortman, 1975).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A cross-sectional study of children and their families in different child care environments: Some data and conclusions

Winett

Fuchs

Moffatt

et al. 1977

J. Community Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study compared children and families involved in four child care environments—all day center care (n = 35), all day sitter (family) care (n = 15), partial center/sitter‐home (mixed) care (n = 31), and exclusive at home care (n = 43). These 124 two‐parent families were predominately white and middle class. Measures included the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, a preschool test, a social developmental scale, indices of parent‐child interactions, parental engagement in child care tasks and household chores, leisure time activity, behavior management style, quality of center care, and length of time in care outside the home. Demographic differences (SES, race, age of child, birth order, number of children in the family, wife's age, and wife working) that existed between the groups were seen as representing particularly important, naturally occurring social patterns, and therefore were separately analyzed and presented. The results indicated that the mixed group tended to score higher than the other groups on measures of intellectual ability, but it was nuclear whether these differences reflected the higher SES of this group or the partial child care situation. The day care and at‐home groups were well matched and did not differ significantly on child measures. Greater paternal involvement in child and home care was associated with the use of child care outside the home and maternal employment. Lower SES was significantly related to lower Peabody scores, a more punitive discipline style, and more time spent in child care outside the home. Number of children in the family showed a curvilinear relationship (high scores = two children) with some ITPA scales; and a pattern of low ITPA scores for only children emerged. The results were discussed in terms of developing methodologies to examine the interrelationships of family patterns and child care modalities, the design and evaluation of day care centers, and some social policy implications of the effects of SES on child development.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A cross-sectional study of children and their families in different child care environments: Some data and conclusions

Winett

Fuchs

Moffatt

et al. 1977

J. Community Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Many types of evaluation research are carried out in mental health service agencies, most of which can be classified under one of three major categories: description of program structure and function, process analysis, and the measurement of treatment outcome (Fox & Rappaport, 1972;Wortman, 1975). Studies of program structure and function investigate patterns of communication and the power structure within the organization, staff-patient ratios, availability of specific services, allocation of staff time, etc.…”

Section: Difficulties In Conducting Evaluation Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Weiss and Rein (1972) have proposed the use of conceptual frameworks which emphasize the development and interrelation of events through time, such as systems analysis and political process analysis. Still other approaches-convergence technique, operations research techniques, and Bayesian statistics-have been proposed (Guba, 1972;Guttentag, 1973;Wortman, 1975). The details of these various approaches extend beyond the scope of the present paper.…”

Section: The Planning Phasementioning

confidence: 99%

Researching psychotherapy effectiveness in mental health service agencies

Thomander

1976

J. Community Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The results of psychotherapy outcome research to date are briefly reviewed and the reasons why this research has not had greater impact on the practice of psychotherapy in mental health service agencies are presented. Sources of pressure to conduct evaluation research are enumerated. Involving mental health practitioners in field research is proposed as a means of increasing the relevance of psychotherapy outcome research to service personnel. Difficulties frequently encountered in the planning, data gathering, and implementation of results phases of evaluation projects are discussed and recommendations are made for ameliorating these problems. An improvement printed feedback model of program evaluation is presented and the value of individualized measurement, repeated‐measures designs, and experimental case studies in maximizing the utilization of research results are discussed.

show abstract

“…217-234; U.S. , 1974; Walther, Magnusson, & Cherkasky, 1969). Unfortunately, there remains a major shortcoming in those "how-to" mat~rials, as well as in much broader theoretical models that attempt to define approaches to social pro~:am evaluation (Wortman, 1975). The deficiency is~ssentia1ly a methodologic~l one~spawned by avoidance of basic issues and t7~~niques…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Criterion Measures for Youth‐work Training Programs: The Development of Relevant Performance Dimensions

Freeberg¹

1975

ETS Research Bulletin Series

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An attempt to develop relevant criterion measures for work-training programs serving disadvantaged adolescents involved the longitudinal application of 32 trainee performance criteria at program completion and 40 longer-term outcome measures approximately six months following training. Factor analyses of those variables yielded four program completion (prOXimal) criterion dimensions of work motivation and planning ability, personal-social adjustments and training program competency. Post-program (distal) variables resulted in five dimensions encompassing areas of social and community adjustments, skill in job planning, ability to perform on jobs and to seek or find employment. Loading magnitudes and factor patterns provided a basis for identifying those variables with the greatest concurrent relevance; whereas, correlations between proximal and distal criteria pinpointed those end-ofprogram outcomes of greatest predictive relevance (e.g., proficiency ratings by counselors, work supervisors and peers; family adjustments, favorable self and social perceptions). This empirical approach to criterion development was shown to provide better understanding of the multidimensional aspects of a criterion donmin and information for setting priorities in the choice of criterion variables. training, the roots of that uncertainty have been attributed directly to "imprecise gOc;l;l statements" and lack of "properly designed systems for planning, executing and using evaluation studies" (Hholey, Scanlon, D,~ffy, Fukumoto, & Vogt, 1970). Criterion MeasuresMoves to fill the void have stimulated a spate of 1iteratur~aimed at clarifying re~earch strategies and analytical methods that would allow for more systematic evaluation of the programs (Barth, 1972;Borus, 1972;Borus & Tash, 1970; National League of Cities, 1973; Rossi, 1969, pp. 217-234; U.S. , 1974; Walther, Magnusson, & Cherkasky, 1969). Unfortunately, there remains a major shortcoming in those "how-to" mat~rials, as well as in much broader theoretical models that attempt to define approaches to social pro~:am evaluation (Wortman, 1975). The deficiency is~ssentia1ly a methodologic~l one~spawned by avoidance of basic issues and t7~~niques Department of Laborneeded for the derivation of criterion tools that serve as critica.l elements in any evaluative and research efforts. Criterion Measures 3Instead of verifiable procedures, the prescriptions prOVided for specifying training objectives and associated measures appear to begin, and end, with purely consensual or rational decisions, usually leading to a laundry list of recommended performance outcomes that somehow appeal to the particular writer. The conceptual framework and procedures for formulating criterion constructs--long espoused in the research literature from Thorndike's (1949, chap. 5) and Cureton's (1951, pp. 621-694) early presentations to the more recent work of Dunnette (1967), Guion (196l), Ghise11i (1956), Cronbach (1971, and Wherry (1957)--seem to have gone unrecognized as a crucial aspect of the evalu...

show abstract

Evaluation research: A psychological perspective.

Cited by 65 publications

References 18 publications

A cross-sectional study of children and their families in different child care environments: Some data and conclusions

A cross-sectional study of children and their families in different child care environments: Some data and conclusions

Researching psychotherapy effectiveness in mental health service agencies

Criterion Measures for Youth‐work Training Programs: The Development of Relevant Performance Dimensions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About