University:
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Course:
PSYC 1101 | General Psychology
Academic year:

2021
Views:

26

Pages:

1
Author:

Shyanne Johnson

Chapter 3: Operational Definitions Essentialism—a term created by philosopher Karl Popper to indicate an idea that the only good scientific theories are those that give ultimate explanations of phenomena in terms of their underlying essences or essential properties. People who hold this view also tend to think that a theory that gives anything less than an ultimate explanation of something is useless. Science does not answer essentialist questions. It advances by developing operational definitions of concepts. Operationists link the concepts to observable events. Operationism is the idea that concepts in scientific theories must be grounded in observable events that can be measured. Operational definitions remove the concept from the particular emotional nuances and biases of the individual researcher and allows the concept to be tested by anyone who can carry out the measurable operations. Example: Define the word hunger. “The gnawing feeling n the pit of your stomach” is not an operational definition since it is related to the personal experience of a “gnawing feeling.” It is therefore not accessible to other researchers. You need a definition that is linked to some measurable period of food deprivation or some physiological index such as blood sugar levels because anyone could carry these out. The concept of “anxiety” cannot be measured as that “uncomfortable, tense feeling I get at times” but must involve questionnaires and physiological measurements. [Define pain…define stress…] A concept in science is defined by a set of operations, not just by a single behavioral event or task. You need more than one observation. 6