Measurement and intervention effectiveness: How to select questionnaire content that makes your intervention (not) work?

Speaker(s):

Clair Gamble, University of Dundee

Abstract:

A key condition for successful evaluations of interventions is that the evaluation criteria are sensitive to detect those changes or differences that are expected. Social science evaluations often rely on questionnaires as an important component of the evaluation criteria, assessing participants' experiences, views, and other subjectively defined characteristics. A common problem is that the questions are not well-targeted for the assessment purpose and do not evaluate relevant levels of the construct they are intended to measure.

 

This problem will first be illustrated with practice-based examples. We will then introduce the key concepts of what it means to identify or develop a fit-for-purpose evaluation tool, developing a framework based on program evaluation theories, psychometrics, and sampling theory. Participants will then explore with the support of interdisciplinary expertise in group work how to connect this to methods and problems they are familiar with.