Operational Definition
Uploaded by
ScribdTranslationsOperational Definition
Uploaded by
ScribdTranslationsOperational definition
Operational definitions constitute an instruction manual for the researcher . They must define the
variables of the hypotheses in such a way that they can be tested. An operational definition assigns
meaning to a hypothetical construct or variable, specifying the activities or "operations" necessary
to measure or manipulate it. An operational definition is, essentially, one that indicates that a certain
phenomenon exists, and does so by specifying precisely and, preferably, in what units said
phenomenon can be measured. That is, an operational definition of a concept consists of a
statement of the operations necessary to produce the phenomenon. Once the method of recording
and measuring a phenomenon has been specified, that phenomenon is said to have been
operationally defined.
Therefore, when a term is operationally defined, the aim is to indicate the indicators that will serve
to carry out the phenomenon that is the subject of the study, hence, whenever possible, terms with
the possibility of measurement should be used. These operational definitions can be:
• Measurements: when variations are observed and classified.
• Experimental: indicate how to manipulate a variable.
Operational definitions establish a bridge between hypothetical concepts or constructs and actual
observations, behaviors, and activities. That is, the scientist or researcher operates on two levels:
that of concepts and hypotheses (Level I) and that of observation and manipulation (Level II). The
two levels are connected by an operational definition. In experimental situations, operational
definitions specify what experimenters do to manipulate one or more independent variables. These
definitions literally indicate the operations involved.
Function of concepts or operational definitions:
• Order perception.
• Assess what is perceived.
• Guide individual action.
• Facilitate communication.
Concept requirements:
• There must be agreement and continuity in the attribution of certain figurative contents or
certain words.
• They must be precisely defined: semantic content exactly established.
• They must have an empirical reference: they must refer to something graspable, observable
(even if indirectly).
Rules for defining The function of definition is to present the main features of the structure of a
concept to make it more precise, delimiting it from other concepts, in order to make possible a
systematic exploration of the objective it represents. For this it is necessary to take into account:
• Validity means that the definition fits the concept. It should refer precisely to that concept and
not to something similar. If the definition is valid, when doing the methodological part, it will be
measuring precisely what it is intended to measure and not something else.
• Reliability or reproducibility, means that if the measurement or recording is repeated, the result
will always be the same.
• Give the essence. The definition must give the essence of what you are trying to define, that is,
its nature, its characteristic notes, its limits.
• Avoid tautologies. It must not directly or indirectly contain the objective. Example: economics is
the science that studies economic phenomena. It should not be circular. That is, one should avoid,
for example, defining understanding as the ability to think and, in turn, the ability to think as the
activity of understanding. A vicious circle consists of two (or more) nominal definitions that refer to
each other while the concepts used in these definitions have no real definition to link them to the
empirical one.
• It must be affirmative. Any definition must always be expressed in affirmative terms, never in
negative terms, and must affirm the fact as such, not be ambiguous that this could be so.
• Use of clear language. It must be expressed in clear and accessible words, it must not contain
metaphors or literary figures.
• Precise and unitary meaning.
The phase of establishing "working definitions" in the theoretical bases is closely linked to the
decision made regarding the data collection instruments that will be used. Precisely if one does not
have a good theoretical base, one cannot develop a good instrument or choose an appropriate
technique to collect data. Working definitions are adequate if the instruments or procedures based
on them bring together data that are satisfactory indicative of the concepts they are intended to
represent.
Definitions can be modified as the work progresses; this is common in qualitative research, because
the researcher's understanding of what they are studying often becomes deeper as the research
progresses. On the other hand, if the definitions that have served as the basis for quantitative
measurements are changed after collecting empirical data, the data corresponding to the old
definition that had been collected has been wasted. However, the general picture or framework of
what was investigated is maintained.
To write the general framework of the investigation, the writing must keep in mind the following
outline:
• general context
• intermediate context
• specific context
To make the work easier in developing the theoretical bases, a scheme or index can be used.
As an index:
Title: Tobacco Consumption in Young People
1. Drugs
1.1 concept
1.2 history
1.3 consequences
1.4 types of drugs
2. Tobacco
2.1 description
2.2 effects
2.3 consequences
3. Youth
3.1 youth stage
3.2 features
3.3 evasion
As can be seen, both ways of constructing the theoretical foundation start from the original title of
the work, due to this it is important to have a well-defined title. Thus, on theoretical bases,
operational definitions must have limited definitions, whose purpose is to allow the researcher and
the reader to get closer to the aspects of reality to be studied. There is always the danger of
fragmenting a concept in such a way that it becomes distant (or irrelevant) from its real meaning.
But they approach significant aspects of conceptual reality.
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
An operational definition constitutes the set of procedures that describes the
activities that an observer must carry out to receive sensory impressions (sounds,
visual or tactile impressions, etc.), which indicate the existence of a theoretical
concept to a greater or lesser degree (Reynolds, 1971, p. In other words, it
specifies what activities or operations must be performed to measure a variable.
Following the line of FN. Kerlinger, an operational definition tells us that to measure
this variable, we must do this and that (it tells us the steps to follow). For example,
the operational definition of the variable “temperature” would be the thermometer
(with the respective instructions on how to measure and interpret the temperature);
“'Intelligence” could be operationally defined as the responses to a given
intelligence test; The well-known “Minnesota Multifaceted Personality Inventory”
(MMPI) is an operational definition of “personality” in literate adults and
adolescents. The family income variable could be operationalized by asking a
question about personal income to each of the family members and then adding
the amounts that each person indicated. “Physical attractiveness” is
operationalized in a beauty pageant—such as “Miss Universe”—by applying a
series of criteria that a jury uses to evaluate the candidates (the jury members give
a rating to the contestants in each criterion and They then obtain a total physical
attractiveness score).
There are almost always several operational definitions (or ways of
operationalizing) of a variable. For example, to operationally define the personality
variable, there are several psychometric tests (eg, the different versions of the
aforementioned MMPI), projective tests; eg, the Roscharch test or the thematic
apperception test (TAT), direct interview techniques.
“A person's anxiety” can be measured through direct observation, by expert
observers (including clinical psychologists), who judge that person's level of
anxiety; through measurements of the activity of the psychological system (blood
pressure, respirations, etc.) and analyzing the responses to an anxiety
questionnaire (Reynolds, 1971, p. 52). A student's learning in a research course
can be measured through several exams, an assignment, a combination of exams,
assignments, and practicals.
When the researcher has several alternatives to operationally define a variable, he
must choose the one that provides the most information about the variable, best
captures its essence, best suits its context, and is most precise. The criteria for
evaluating an operational definition are basically three: “appropriateness to the
context”, “reliability” and “validity”. They will be discussed in the section
“Development of data collection instruments”. A correct selection of the available
operational definitions or the creation of the operational definition itself nal is
closely related to an adequate review of the literature. When this has been done
carefully, you can have a wider range of operational definitions to choose from or
more ideas to create a new one.
Now, in the formulation of hypotheses it is suggested how the variables should be
operationalized, but it is in the stage corresponding to the development of the data
collection instruments, in which they are selected or designed and adapted to the
particular context of the study.
There are some variables that do not require their conceptual definition to be made
explicit in the research report, because this definition is relatively obvious and
shared. The very title of the variable defines it (p For example, sex —which is
different from “sexual practice”—, “age,” “income”). But there are few variables that
do not require an operational definition so that they can be evaluated empirically.
te, even when no hypotheses are formulated in the study. Whenever you have
variables, you must define them operationally.
The intrinsic motivation questionnaire would be developed and adapted to the
context of the study in the phase of the research process called “development of
data collection instruments”; The same would happen with the procedure to
measure “absenteeism from work.”
