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An operational definition is designed to model or represent a concept or theoretical definition, also known as a construct.Scientists should describe the operations (procedures, actions, or processes) that define the concept with enough specificity such that other investigators can replicate their research.
Operationalization is the scientific practice of operational definition, where even the most basic concepts are defined through the operations by which we measure them. The practice originated in the field of physics with the philosophy of science book The Logic of Modern Physics (1927), by Percy Williams Bridgman, whose methodological position is called "operationalism".
For example, according to Cronbach and Meehl a fish is not a hypothetical construct because, despite variation in species and varieties of fish, there is an agreed upon definition for a fish with specific characteristics that distinguish a fish from a bird. Furthermore, a fish can be directly observed.
A theoretical definition of a term can change, over time, based on the methods in the field that created it. Without a falsifiable operational definition, conceptual definitions assume both knowledge and acceptance of the theories that it depends on. [1] A hypothetical construct may serve as a theoretical definition, as can a stipulative ...
An example of a mental construct is the idea of class, or the distinguishing of two groups based on their income, culture, power, or some other defining characteristic(s). An operational definition specifies concrete, replicable procedures that reliably produce a differentiated, measurable outcome. Similarly, concepts can remain abstract or can ...
In statistics there can be models of mental events as well as models of physical events. For example, a statistical model of customer behavior is a model that is conceptual (because behavior is physical), but a statistical model of customer satisfaction is a model of a concept (because satisfaction is a mental not a physical event).
theory. For example, David M. Cutler and colleagues (2003) investigate whether or not the increase in caloric intake over time could be seen as simply a rational response to the lowered prices of food, in particular packaged snack foods, which are tempting to consume because they are convenient and require little time to prepare.
[1] [2] [3] Construct validation is the accumulation of evidence to support the interpretation of what a measure reflects. [1] [4] [5] [6] Modern validity theory defines construct validity as the overarching concern of validity research, subsuming all other types of validity evidence [7] [8] such as content validity and criterion validity. [9] [10]