Strategies for Managing Evaluation Anxiety: Toward a Psychology of Program Evaluation STEWART I. DONALDSON, LAURA E. GOOLER, AND MICHAEL SCRIVEN ABSTRACT Excessive evaluation anxiety (XEA) can be a destructive phenomenon in modern program eval- uation. Some of the negative consequences include: Lack of access to important information and data; compliance and cooperation problems; false reporting; effects on bias and validity; and reduced utilization of evaluation findings. If left alone, XEA can lead stakeholders to behave in ways that destroy the credibility of evaluation findings and evaluators. The purpose of this paper is to examine the sources and signs of XEA in program evaluation, and to provide practicing evaluators with strategies to prevent and manage this common problem. This example of how more than technical skills are required to conduct high quality program evaluations illustrates the need for and begins a broader discussion of the psychology of evaluation. INTRODUCTION Most people experience anxiety when their behavior or achievements are being evaluated. Whether evaluations are formal, as in the case of standardized achievement testing, or informal, such as being picked to be part of a soccer team or cheerleading squad, the experience of being evaluated, critiqued, or judged commonly results in an emotional reaction of uneasiness, uncertainty, or apprehension. In essence, many evaluative situations cause people to fear that they will be found to be deficient or inadequate by others (e.g., supervisors, funding agencies, or evaluators in the program evaluation context). The fear of the prospect of a negative evaluation is probably inherent to being human. Criticism, ridicule, contempt, embarrassment, loss of acceptability, loss of respect, and rejection are unpleasant experiences most people attempt to avoid. In fact, the ultimate imaginable Dr. Stewart I. Donaldson • Dean & Chair of Psychology, School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University, 123 E Eighth Street, Claremont, CA 91711, USA; Tel: (1) 909-621-8084; E-mail: stewart. donaldson@cgu.edu. American Journal of Evaluation, Vol. 23, No. 3, 2002, pp. 261–273. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. ISSN: 1098-2140 © 2002 by American Evaluation Association. Published by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. 261