Campbell's law

简明释义

1. 坎贝尔定律; 2. 坎贝尔定律分水岭迁移与溯源侵蚀;

英英释义

Campbell's law refers to the principle that the more a quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more it is subject to corruption pressures and the more likely it is to distort the social processes it is intended to monitor.

坎贝尔法则指的是一个定量社会指标在社会决策中被使用得越多,就越容易受到腐败压力的影响,并且越可能扭曲其旨在监测的社会过程。

例句

1.The consequences of Campbell's law (坎贝尔法则) can be seen in corporate environments where performance metrics lead employees to prioritize quantity over quality.

在企业环境中,Campbell's law坎贝尔法则)的后果可以体现为绩效指标使员工更注重数量而非质量。

2.In educational systems, the implementation of standardized testing can often lead to a situation described by Campbell's law (坎贝尔法则), where the focus shifts from learning to merely improving test scores.

在教育系统中,标准化测试的实施往往会导致一种情况,这种情况被称为Campbell's law坎贝尔法则),即关注点从学习转移到仅仅提高测试分数上。

3.When organizations rely heavily on specific metrics, they may fall victim to Campbell's law (坎贝尔法则), compromising the integrity of their processes.

当组织过于依赖特定指标时,他们可能会受到Campbell's law坎贝尔法则)的影响,从而损害其流程的完整性。

4.In public health, focusing solely on vaccination rates without considering underlying factors can illustrate Campbell's law (坎贝尔法则) and lead to misguided policies.

在公共卫生领域,仅仅关注疫苗接种率而不考虑潜在因素可以说明Campbell's law坎贝尔法则),并导致误导性的政策。

5.The rise in crime statistics used to justify increased policing can be explained through Campbell's law (坎贝尔法则), where the measurement itself influences the behavior being measured.

用于证明增加警务的犯罪统计数据的上升可以通过Campbell's law坎贝尔法则)来解释,其中测量本身影响了被测量的行为。

作文

In the realm of social sciences and education, the concept of measurement plays a pivotal role in determining the effectiveness of policies and programs. However, as researchers and policymakers strive to quantify success through various metrics, they often encounter a phenomenon known as Campbell's law. This principle, formulated by the social scientist Donald T. Campbell in the 1970s, states that "the more a quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more it tends to lose its value as an indicator." In simpler terms, when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. To illustrate Campbell's law, consider the education system where standardized test scores are employed to evaluate student performance and school effectiveness. Initially, these scores may serve as reliable indicators of educational achievement. However, as schools and teachers become aware that their funding, reputations, and job security hinge on these scores, the focus shifts from genuine learning to merely improving test results. This can lead to teaching to the test, where educators prioritize test preparation over comprehensive education, ultimately distorting the true measure of student learning and growth.The implications of Campbell's law extend beyond education into various sectors, including healthcare, business, and public policy. For instance, in healthcare, patient satisfaction surveys are often used to gauge the quality of care provided by hospitals. When these surveys become the primary metric for assessing hospital performance, there is a risk that healthcare providers may prioritize positive survey outcomes over actual patient care. This could result in superficial improvements in service delivery, such as focusing on aspects that enhance patient perceptions rather than addressing substantive healthcare issues.Moreover, Campbell's law highlights the challenges of relying solely on quantitative measures in decision-making processes. While numbers can provide valuable insights, they cannot capture the full complexity of human behavior and social phenomena. By placing too much emphasis on specific indicators, organizations may inadvertently overlook other critical factors that contribute to success or failure. For example, a company might focus solely on sales figures to evaluate employee performance, neglecting the importance of teamwork, innovation, and customer relationships.To mitigate the effects of Campbell's law, it is crucial for decision-makers to adopt a more holistic approach to evaluation. This involves using a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures to assess performance comprehensively. Engaging stakeholders in the evaluation process can also provide valuable perspectives that enrich understanding and guide more effective decision-making.In conclusion, Campbell's law serves as a cautionary reminder of the potential pitfalls associated with over-reliance on quantitative indicators in social science and policy-making. While metrics can offer important insights, they should not become the sole determinants of success. By recognizing the limitations of these measures and striving for a balanced approach, we can foster environments that promote genuine growth and improvement across various domains of society.

在社会科学和教育领域,测量的概念在确定政策和项目的有效性方面发挥着关键作用。然而,当研究人员和决策者努力通过各种指标量化成功时,他们常常会遇到一个现象,这就是Campbell's law。这一原则由社会科学家唐纳德·T·坎贝尔在1970年代提出,指出“一个定量社会指标越是用于社会决策,它作为指标的价值就越容易失去。”简单来说,当一个测量成为目标时,它就不再是一个好的测量。为了说明Campbell's law,可以考虑教育系统,其中标准化考试成绩被用来评估学生表现和学校有效性。最初,这些分数可能作为教育成就的可靠指标。然而,当学校和教师意识到他们的资金、声誉和工作安全都依赖于这些分数时,注意力就会从真正的学习转移到仅仅提高考试结果。这可能导致“应试教学”,即教育者优先考虑考试准备,而不是全面教育,从而最终扭曲学生学习和成长的真实衡量。Campbell's law的影响不仅限于教育,还扩展到医疗保健、商业和公共政策等各个领域。例如,在医疗保健中,患者满意度调查通常用于衡量医院提供的护理质量。当这些调查成为评估医院绩效的主要指标时,医疗提供者可能会优先考虑积极的调查结果,而非实际的患者护理。这可能导致服务交付的表面改善,例如专注于提升患者感知的方面,而不是解决实质性的医疗问题。此外,Campbell's law强调了在决策过程中仅依赖定量措施所面临的挑战。虽然数字可以提供有价值的见解,但它们无法捕捉人类行为和社会现象的全部复杂性。过于强调特定指标,组织可能无意中忽视其他对成功或失败至关重要的因素。例如,一家公司可能仅关注销售数据来评估员工绩效,而忽视了团队合作、创新和客户关系的重要性。为了减轻Campbell's law的影响,决策者必须采取更全面的评估方法。这涉及使用定量和定性措施的结合,以全面评估绩效。让利益相关者参与评估过程也可以提供宝贵的视角,丰富理解并指导更有效的决策。总之,Campbell's law作为一个警示,提醒我们在社会科学和政策制定中对定量指标过度依赖的潜在陷阱。虽然指标可以提供重要的见解,但它们不应成为成功的唯一决定因素。通过认识这些措施的局限性并努力寻求平衡的方法,我们可以促进各个社会领域的真正增长和改善。