Don't Trust the Dashboard: How Numbers Mislead in Substance-Use Prevention

Professor Peterson’s Psychology Classroom · Oct 9, 2026 · 25m · transcript

Dr. Curtis Peterson explores how evaluative thinking and applied research reveal what dashboards hide in substance-use prevention. Using the Ecological Identity Model (EIM) and logic models, the episode explains the difference between outputs and outcomes, the limits of operational measures, and the need for construct validity.

Through examples like warm handoffs and clinic screenings, the episode shows why mixed methods—combining quantitative patterns with qualitative inquiry—are essential to uncover missing data, subgroup harms, and unintended consequences. Listeners learn how frameworks…