The Prevalence of Evaluator Anxiety in Practice: An Empirical Examination

Abstract

Anxiety is a multifaceted force that can negatively impact the ability of evaluators to succeed in practice. In the evaluation literature, discussions concerning anxiety have primarily been limited to strategies to reduce stakeholder anxiety to encourage positive and productive working relationships with evaluators. This study was among the first to explicitly recognize and empirically assess the anxiety evaluators feel during practice. Using a mixed-methods design, a random sample of 109 American Evaluation Association members was surveyed. There was overwhelming agreement (96.30%) that evaluator anxiety is a commonly experienced phenomenon, often citing reasons such as lack of experience, imposter syndrome, unreasonable scope, and difficulties with stakeholder interactions as key contributors to increased anxiety. Evaluator anxiety varied across stages of the evaluation process, with some stages eliciting more anxiety than others. Further discussion and training concerning how to reduce evaluator anxiety could be useful in the preparation of evaluators.