This exploratory study examines (1) the values of evaluation research practitioners in
response to ethical statements demanding a value choice and (2) the relationship between
evaluator value choices and five hypothetical value dimensions relevant to more mature
groups of professionals. Preliminary findings indicate that scaling, comparison, and
analysis of evaluator value choices are feasible and may identify whatever consensus
exists. Value conflicts exist among evaluation practioners, particularly around more
esoteric concepts such as sharing and client loyalty versus distributive justice. The
implications of multiple value conflictsfor the further growth of evaluation as a profession
are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anderson, S.B. and S. Ball (1978) The Profession and Practice of Program Evaluation . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
2.
Brody, H. (1976) Ethical Decisions in Medicine. Boston: Little, Brown.
3.
Campbell, D.T. (1977) Protection of the rights and interests of human subjects in the areas of program evaluation, social experimentation, social indicators, survey research, secondary analysis of research data, and statistical analysis of data from administrative records. (unpublished)
4.
Caplan, N. and Nelson (1973 ) "On being useful: The nature and consequences of psychological research on social problems." Amer. Psychologist28: 199-211.
5.
Carroll, J.D. and J.J. Chang (1970) "Analysis of individual differences in multidimensional scaling via an N-way generalization of 'Eckhart-Young' decomposition." Psychometrika283-319.
6.
Cohen, D. (1970) "Politics and research: Evaluation of social action programs in education." Rev. of Educ. Research40: 213-238.
7.
Cournand, A. (1977) "The code of the scientist and its relationship to ethics." Science198, 4318: 699-705.
8.
Denton, J.J. (1978) "Matrix scores, two scale questionnaires in program evaluation." CEDR Q.11: 14-16.
9.
Diener, E. and R. Crandall (1978) Ethics in Social and Behavioral Research. Chicago : Univ. of Chicago Press.
10.
Englehart, H.T. (1976) "The roots of science and ethics." Hastings Center Report6 (June): 35-38.
11.
E.R.S. (1980) "Standards for program evaluation." Evaluation Research Society Exposure Draft.
12.
Eron, L. and L. Walder (1961) "Test burning II." Amer. Psychologist16: 237-239.
13.
Gibbs, L.A. (1979) "A code of ethics for evaluators?" (mimeo)
14.
Gray, B. (1979) "Human subjects review committees and social research ," pp. 43-57 in M. L. Wax and J. Cassell (eds.) Federal Regulations: Ethical Issues and Social Research. Golden, CO: Westview .
15.
Guba, E.G. (1975) "Problems in utilizing the results of evaluation ." J. of Research and Development in Education8: 42-54.
16.
Heath, A. (1976) Rational Choice and Social Exchange. Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univ. Press.
17.
Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation (1981) Standards for evaluation of educational programs, projects and materials. New York: McGraw-Hill.
18.
Katz, J. (1972) Experimentation with Human Beings. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
19.
Kruskal, J.B. (1973) "Nonmetric multidemensional scaling." Unpublished monograph #3821. New Brunswick, NJ: Bell Laboratories.
20.
——— and M. Wish (1978) Multidimensional Scaling. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
21.
Molner, S. (1977) "Trapped bedfellows: A comment on Windle and Neigher ." Evaluation and Program Planning: An Int. J.1: 109-113.
22.
Moser, C.A. and G. Kalton (1972) Survey Methods in Social Investigation. New York: Basic Books.
23.
Perloff, R. and E. Perloff (1980) "Editor's introduction: A hard look at the 'softer side' of program evaluation," pp. 1-21 in R. Perloff and E. Perloff (eds.) Values, Affects, and Standards in Program Evaluation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
24.
--- and E. Sussna (1976) "Program evaluation," pp. 569-594 in M. R. Rosenzweig and L. W. Porter (eds.) Annual Review of Psychology (Vol. 27). Palo Alto, CA: Annual Reviews .
25.
Pruzansky, S. (1975) "SINDSCAL: A computer program for individual differences in multidimensional scaling." Unpublished monograph. New Brunswick, NJ: Bell Laboratories.
26.
Rawls, J. (1971) A Theory of Justice. Cambridge, MA: Belknap.
27.
Renzulli, J.S. (1972) "The confessions of a frustrated evaluator." Measurement and Evaluation in Guidance5: 298-305.
28.
Reynolds, P.D. (1979) Ethical Dilemmas and Social Science Research. San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
29.
Riecken, H. W. and R. F. Boruch [eds.] (1974) Social Experimentation: A Method of Planning and Evaluating Social Intervention. New York: Academic Press.
30.
Rokeach, M. (1973) The Nature of Human Values. New York: Free Press.
31.
Schnee, R. (1977) "Ethical standards for evaluators." AERA Division H Newsletter3(1): 5-7.
32.
Sheinfeld, S. (1977) "Avoiding another Watergate: The ethical evaluator and the power to change." Presented at the meeting of the Evaluation Research Society, Washington, DC.
33.
Sieber, J. and W. Sanders (1978) "Ethical problems in program evaluation: Roles not models." Evaluation and Program Planning: An Int. J.1: 114-117.
34.
Tallman, I. and M. Tallman-Ihinger (1979) "Values, distributive justice, and social change." Amer. Soc. Rev.44: 216-235.
35.
Windle, C. and W. Neigher (1978) "Ethical problems in program evaluation: Advice for trapped evaluators." Evaluation and Program Planning: An Int. J.1: 97-108.
36.
Wortman, P. (1975) "Evaluation research: A psychological perspective ." Amer. Psychologist30: 562-575.
