When thinking about the outcomes of a program or service, we usually like to think about the impact on people: how their behavior, attitudes, or knowledge have changed. As I was reflecting on some client's expected outcomes this week, I realized that the word "change" is not clearly defined.
I came up with a short typology of change - I'd love your insights about whether there are other types of change that I have missed.
- A change of magnitude: when something happens to a greater or lesser degree. A health example might be a change in the amount of vegetables consumed each day.
- A change of frequency: when something happens more or less often. An education example might be a change in the number of absences each year.
- A change of prevalence: when something happens to a greater or smaller proportion of people. An example in corrections might be a change in the proportion of offenders who commit a new crime after being released.
- A change of breadth: when something happens across more factors or domains. An example in economic development might be a change in the proportion of home renters who care about the cost, environmental and health effects of new construction, instead of just one of the three factors.
- A change in quality: when something happens that is better or worse than something else. An example in art might be a change in the ability to use higher-level artistic processes (i.e, responding to critiques through revision) rather than more elementary processes.