Psychology 202: Research Methods, Prof.

Melcher
NAME: _____________________________________________
Operational Definitions assignent
!n order to do research and co"nicate eaningf"lly #ith others, researchers "st go $eyond the
conceptual definition of a constr"ct. Dictionaries provide conceptual definitions, which tend to be abstract.
%or e&aple, depression is defined concept"ally as 'a state of $eing in #hich one e&hi$its lo#ered initiati(e
and has sad and glooy tho"ghts). Researchers $egin #ith concept"al definitions, of co"rse, $"t in order to
"se the, they ha(e to *get real* $y "sing or de(ising #ays to eas"re the a$stract concept. +his is the
p"rpose of operational definitions. An operational definition specifies the operations "sed to define and
eas"re the concept.
There are two types of operational definitions, measured and manipulated (or experimental). !n the
first, one siply eas"res to record the presence or agnit"de of the concept. An e&aple #o"ld $e to
eas"re the air teperat"re, operationally defined as *degrees ,elsi"s*. A psychologist co"ld eas"re
concept of *ood* in ters of $eha(ioral o$ser(ations -degree of aniation., $y "sing a /"estionnaire -ha(e
the person respond to 0i1ert scale /"estions a$o"t ho# they feel at the oent., or $y ta1ing physiological
eas"res -e.g., p"lse, eye dilation, etc.. +hese e&aples #o"ld all represent passi(e measures of ood.
Alternati(ely, yo" co"ld acti(ely, or e&perientally, ind"ce different oods. Note that anip"lation
necessarily in(ol(es doing soething to the organis -h"an or anial. to change its psychological state.
%ollo#ing y e&aple, ood co"ld $e anip"lated $y ha(ing s"$2ects (ie# a (ery glooy or "plifting fil.
Of co"rse, yo" #o"ld need to (erify that yo"r anip"lation #as s"ccessf"l $y collecting data -s"ch as
a$o(e.. !n this e&aple, yo" #o"ld #ant to (erify that people #ho #atched the glooy fil #ord had lo#er
self3reported ood scores, different gal(anic s1in response, etc., than those #ho #atched the "plifting fil4
Note that yo" ha(e no# operationally defined mood as the state induced by your manipulation.
%or this assignent, look up three psychological cconcepts. A good so"rce is the glossary fro any
psychology test. 5o" ay "se concepts fro the topic that yo" plan to research or yo" ay identify others
s"ch as: attachent, aggression, drea state, eory, attention, intelligence, doinance, self3concept, etc.
rovide a conceptual definition and two (!) operational definitions, one measured passively and one
manipulated actively" 6e s"re that another researcher co"ld replicate yo"r definitions. NOTE: +his
assignent is ade ore diffic"lt -tho"gh perhaps not ipossi$le, #ith soe creati(ity. if yo" choose
clinically oriented concepts, s"ch as 'personality), 'depression), 'eating disorder), etc.. +his is $eca"se these
are "ch ore diffic"lt to anip"late copared to narro#er concepts s"ch as 'eory), 'need for
affiliation), 'attachent), etc.
,oncept 7: ________________________________________________________________________
,oncept"al definition -fro a dictionary.:
Operational definition -eas"red only.:
Operational definition -anip"lated.:
,oncept 2: _______________________________________________________________________
,oncept"al definition:
Operational definition -eas"red only.:
Operational definition -anip"lated.:
,oncept 8: _______________________________________________________________________
,oncept"al definition:
Operational definition -eas"red only.:
Operational definition -anip"lated.: