Pile Sorts, A Cognitive Anthropological Model of Drug and AIDS Risks for Navajo Teenagers: Assessment of a New Evaluation Tool

SUMMARY This article presents data which support the use of a cognitive anthropology research method, “pile sorting,” to compliment and enhance the qualitative and quantitative evaluation tools used by drug prevention programs. The method was employed in the assessment of a Drug, Alcohol, and AIDS prevention program conducted by a community based organization. It produced significant information on the cognitive models of risks held by Native American teenagers, and provided a method of determining target areas for revision of the prevention and intervention program, as well as assessing the impact of the existing program. Pile sorting proved to be simple to administer, fin for respondents, and provided analytical information at a positive ratio between time-on-task compared to richness of result.