Research methods; Statistical methods; Psychology, Applied
A critical aspect of conducting any type of field-based research and evaluation is the collection of data needed for testing hypotheses and answering evaluation questions. Many do not realize the importance of this activity in the planning of...
A reaction panel discussion about presentations from the second half of this symposium, which were primarily focused on collecting credible evidence in evaluation using non-experimental approaches. The panel is composed of Stewart I. Donaldson...
Donation of organs, tissues, etc.; Psychology, Applied; Health behavior; Indians of North America; Kidney transplantation
American Indians (AI) and Alaska Natives (AN) of the United States (US), and First Nations (FN) peoples of Canada, experience higher rates of many chronic diseases. While the burden of specific health issues differs by group, an increasing...
Bullying in schools;Harassment in schools; Ethnic diversity;Social anxiety; Social psychology
Bullying or peer harassment is recognized as a substantial public health and educational problem in American schools. In this talk, Dr. Juvonen presents findings of collaborative research on bullying conducted primarily in Los Angeles area public...
Psychology, Applied; Careers for the 21st century; Social sciences; Universities and colleges; Universities and colleges Graduate work
Dale E. Berger of Claremont Graduate University gives a symposium presentation focusing on preparing for careers where one can apply the science of psychology in non-academic settings. Berger's main thesis is that there are many new and upcoming...
Science and society; Stem cells Research; Global warming; Science and religion; Evolution; Social research
Dr. Alan Leshner discusses the role of science and scientists in major social issues, such as religion, evolution, stem cell research, global warming, and political agendas. He suggests that it is important for scientists not only to educate the...
Social psychology; Social deviance; Uncertainty; Social exclusion; Morality; Loyalty
Dr. Dominic Abrams presents his research on the way people react to extreme, or 'deviant' members of their own and other groups. Group psychology has long established that deviants tend to be rejected within groups, but there are many times when...
Dr. Gary T. Henry (University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill) discusses his point of view in the debate for what counts as credible evidence in evaluation and applied research, arguing that credibility is too subjective a factor to place trust...
Religion; Frustration; Uncertainty; Panic; Anxiety; Psychology; Threat; Hate
Dr. Ian McGregor’s most recent research investigates personality and social psychological causes of religious extremism. Based on over a dozen laboratory experiments he has found that various psychological threats cause people to go to extremes....
Dr. Mark Lipsey, a leader of the field of evaluation, talks about evidence-based practice and its relation to evaluation. Evidenced-based social science theories are often helpful for understanding the etiology of desired or undesired outcomes and...
Social Psychology; Uncertainty; Threat; Patriotism; Leadership; Authoritarianism; Security; Terrorism; Immigration
Dr. Merolla discusses how different types of threats can make individuals come to feel anxious, insecure, and uncertain about the world around them. There are many studies predicting that citizens may exert control over such uncontrollable...
Youth Social aspects China; Women Social conditions China; Family China; China; Chinese; Smoking Cessation; Epidemiology; Tobacco; Chronic Disease.; Sex education; Sexually transmitted diseases;
Dr. Paula Healani Palmer of the University of Southern California discusses what has been learned about health risk behavior in one of the most quickly and dramatically shifting cultures today—the People’s Republic of China. Palmer discusses...
Evaluation; Social sciences; South Africa; Malaysia
Dr. Ross Conner, President of the Board of the International Organization for Cooperation in Evaluation, in his Keynote Address discusses IOCE’s commitment to building a worldwide evaluation community. Dr. Conner gives a brief history and...
Social psychology; Intergroup relations; Bigotry; Tolerance; Prejudice; Hate
Dr. Todd Pittinsky’s research investigates the social psychology of positive intergroup attitudes: the conditions under which they develop, and how they shape the ways people think, feel, and behave. He discusses the three forms of his research:...
Donation of organs, tissues, etc.; Psychology, Applied; Health behavior
Efforts to increase the availability of organs and tissue from donors have received increased emphasis in the last decade in both policy and practice circles. As part of an innovative grant program operated by the U.S. Division of Transplantation,...
Psychology, Applied; Social sciences; Law Psychological aspects; Law and the social sciences; Recovered memory; Judicial error; False memories
Elizabeth Loftus, distinguished professor of the University of California at Irvine overviews her groundbreaking research on memory in the area of law for this symposium on applied psychology. Particularly, she focuses on research regarding the...
Evaluation Theorist Michael Scriven, of Western Michigan University, presents his perspective on the “causation-debate.” According to Scriven, formal analysis (e.g., experimentation and statistical analysis) is neither necessary nor sufficient...
Evaluation, many argue, must be inclusive in order to gain traction and credibility with stakeholders. It must also take into account its cultural context. In a unique event, Dr. Rita O'Sullivan (University of North Carolina), and Dr. Michelle...
Social research; Social sciences Research; Science and society; Education; Public policy; Women's rights; Civil rights; Abortion; Religion and politics
Faye Wattleton, former president of Planned Parenthood and co-founder of the Center for the Advancement of Women, discusses her experiences using data to advance causes of women’s and civil rights. She describes the use of data and research as an...
Evaluation; Policy and research series; Social sciences; Rand Corporation; Development; Politics and policy making
In his presentation Dr. Klitgaard provides the history of evaluation and policy analysis that evolved through three generations since WWII. By listing examples and tools used for evaluations he aims to facilitate future evaluation research that...
