WHEN PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IS THE GOAL: A NEW SET OF CRITERIA FOR CRITERIA

Weitz (1961), aware of the lure of tradition and expedience, urged the identification of evaluation standards for dependent variables, which he referred to as criteria for criteria. In this article, five criteria are proposed using the mnemonic SURF & C: the directness of sampling (S); the respo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied behavior analysis 1998, Vol.31 (2), p.263-280
Main Author: Komaki, Judith L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
assessment
Biological and medical sciences
Case Studies
Data Analysis
dependent variable
Disabilities
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Methods
Exceptional Child Research
Experiments
feedback
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Guidelines
measurement
Methodology. Experimentation
Observation
performance appraisal
Performance Factors
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychometrics. Statistics. Methodology
Reliability
Research Methodology
Research Problems
Sampling
target behavior
Validity
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Summary:Weitz (1961), aware of the lure of tradition and expedience, urged the identification of evaluation standards for dependent variables, which he referred to as criteria for criteria. In this article, five criteria are proposed using the mnemonic SURF & C: the directness of sampling (S); the responsiveness of the target (i.e., making sure the dependent variable is under (U) the worker's control); the reliability (R) of observers; the frequent (F) assessment of the target during the intervention period; and the critical (C) nature of the target. Together the criteria provide guidelines for what and how targets should be assessed. Their necessity is illustrated in two year‐long experiments designed to improve the preventive maintenance of heavy equipment in the U.S. Marine Corps. Although the criteria are limited to evaluating dependent variables in field experiments, they are recommended as the foundation for successful performance efforts in any applied setting.
ISSN:0021-8855
1938-3703
DOI:10.1901/jaba.1998.31-263