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Introduction: The science of psychology tries to develop explanations of human behavior through objective
observations. The procedures or operations that we use to objectively measure a variable is known as its
operational definition. The operational definition gives the variable meaning within a particular study. Because the
meaning of our study rests on how we objectively observe the construct or behavior of interest, developing a
reliable and valid set of procedures for measuring our variables is crucial for the validity of any research study.
Good operational definitions require that we first specify our constructs; developing reliable and valid operations is
the last step of specifying constructs when we are designing our own studies. It is always easier to use an existing
measure than to develop a new one. Be sure to check the literature for measures that have been successfully used
in similar research. A careful reading of the "Procedures" and "Measures" sections of articles will give us
information that will help us identify and evaluate the operational definitions used in published research studies.
The features of a good operational definition vary depending on the study design. We will examine operational
definitions for variables measured in observational, survey, and experimental studies. The meaning of our study
rests on how we objectively observe the construct or behavior of interest. Thus, developing a reliable and valid set
of procedures for measuring our variables is crucial for the validity of any research study. Good operational
definitions require that we first specify our constructs (see Specifying Constructs workshop); developing reliable and
valid operations is the last step of specifying constructs when we are designing our own studies.
Behavioral Observation: Observational research requires careful attention to specifying where and how
observations are made, what is observed, and how it is recorded. As a result, operational definitions in this type of
research may be quite lengthy with multiple components. Let's say that you recently read Nancy Henley's theory of
status, power, and dominance and want to study whether those in higher status positions are more likely to initiate
informal, friendly touches and those in lower status positions are more likely to initiate more formal touches. Let's
develop each part of our operational definition:
You decide to attend a series of professional meetings sponsored by local businesses and observe members
during the social hour before the meeting is called to order. What are the advantages and disadvantages of making
observations at this setting? Next you need to decide how to do the observations. Will you pick "targets",
unobtrusively observe them for the whole social hour, and count how many and what kind of touches they make
(Strategy #1)? Will you wait until you observe a member touch someone and then record what kind of touch
(Strategy #2)? List an advantage and disadvantage of each strategy. Before deciding on a strategy, you will
definitely want to review the empirical literature on touch. Most of this literature uses touch as the unit of analysis
(Strategy #2) because it yields a wider variety of touches.
Now you need to decide what you will observe. Based on your reading of the literature, you want to identify formal
and informal touches. You need to either find an existing measure or develop your own. In either case, you should
have some idea of the content that needs to be included to adequately measure your variable. What types of
touches should be included in the categories of "informal" and "formal" touches? If you develop your own coding
system for touches, you need to make sure that you do a pilot test to make sure that your raters can reliably identify
the behaviors of interest. The pilot test will tell you if you are missing types of touches, if you need to eliminate
types that are never seen, if you need to combine categories, etc.
Once you have a complete and usable set of codes/behaviors, you are ready to conduct and record your
observations. When you are reading an observational study, look for pilot studies or descriptions of how this coding
system was used in previous studies. The final step of developing your observations is to decide how you will
record them. In this study, you want the observation process to be as natural and unobtrusive as possible. Let's say
you have three choices: Paper and pencil tucked in a program or on a clipboard; Hand held organizer; Small
tape recorder. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each strategy?
Reliability and validity are issues for all operational definitions. We want accurate and reliable observations and
we want our observations to validly reflect the variable of interest. If choosing an existing coding scheme, look for
good inter-rater reliability. Remember that the more complex the behavior that is recorded, the more difficult it is to
achieve good inter-rater reliability. Coding schemes that have been successfully used in other studies, demonstrate
good construct validity. If you are developing your own measure, be sure to assess inter-rater reliability. At
minimum, you should have good content validity. Let's go on to our next type of study: Surveys.
From Wadsworth Publishing:
http://www.wadsworth.com/psychology_d/templates/student_resources/workshops/res_methd/science/science_07.
html