Developing operational definitions PY257: Research I February 10, 2010 Dr. Leonard

Directional hypotheses make specific predictions about the direction of the relationship between variables or the degree of difference between groups E.g., Children on Drug A will experience fewer hyperactive episodes than children on Drug B Non-directional hypotheses simply predicts that there will be some relationship or difference but does not specify the direction of degree E.g., Children receiving Drug A and Drug B will display different behaviors The nature of your hypotheses influences your operational definition

In order to communicate with others and carry out research, we must define concepts explicitly We need conceptual definitions in order to communicate the meaning of a concept (e.g. worry vs. anxiety) But, we need operational definitions in order to specify how the concept will be captured and measured (operations used to attain them)

Pros… Operational definitions contribute to parsimony in theories and hypotheses Operational definitions enable researchers to replicate each other’s work; contributes to reliability Operational definitions make the constructs being studied transparent and possible misinterpretations of results

Cons… Operational definitions may lead to strict, narrow definitions of concepts which could contribute to oversimplification of complex phenomena (pseudoscience) Operational definitions may not fully capture all aspects of a concept

Converging operations a.k.a. “two heads are better than one” The idea that our understanding of a phenomena can only be enhanced when multiple investigations are conducted by different researchers using different operationalizations of the concept of interest in order to build a general consensus

Developing an operational definition: Narrowing in on your target concept 1.Which aspect of the concept am I most interested in (key conceptual features)? 2. How can I measure that aspect of the concept that I am most interested in? Determine whether it is physiological, behavioral, attitudinal, implicit… 3. How have others defined and measured it?

Example: Anxiety Jot down your own understanding of anxiety Look to others’ definitions of anxiety for consensus Narrow in on the key concepts How could we measure it physiologically? Behaviorally? Verbally?

Manifest Anxiety Scale One of the very first anxiety scales (1951, 1953), developed by well-known psychologist Janet Taylor who later became President of APA Designed to test overall, general anxiety over time; believed to be a relatively stable characteristic of one’s personality Has been revised several times for children (CMAS) and adults but many still use it; led to the creation of the STAI

Create operational definitions for… Frustration Loneliness Apathy Compassion Alertness

How to determine if others have already measured it Search for empirical articles Check whether they are using a pre-existing measure, an adaptation of one, or their own Consult measurement handbooks in the reference section of the library Check measurement data bases