Abstract
The use of operational definitions, though examined philosophically, has not been sufficiently examined from a practical perspective. The practice of operationalization offers obvious benefits to empirical researchers but suffers from a lack of attention to what has been referred to as translation validity. Because the relation between an operational definition and its underlying construct can never be measured, the quality of translation validity must be established through conceptual argumentation as well as more traditional means such as converging operations and historical precedent in the literature. More specifically, we suggest that any use of operational definitions should involve best practices related to three conceptual tasks: [a] clarification, in which researchers reflect on and clarify their potential operationalizations, [b] specification, in which researchers specify and take account of the difference between the construct of interest and what was actually studied via operational definitions, and [c] justification, in which researchers assess and defend the translation validity of their particular operationalizations.
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The Journal of Mind and Behavior [JMB]recognizes that mind and behavior position, interact, and causally relate to each other in multi-directional ways; the Journal urges the exploration of these interrelationships. JMB is particularly interested in scholarly work in the following areas: the psychology, philosophy, and sociology of experimentation and the scientific method; the mind-body problem in psychiatry and the social sciences; critical examination of the DSM-biopsychiatry- somatotherapy framework of thought and practice; issues pertaining to the ethical study of cognition, self-awareness, and higher functions of thought in non-human animals.
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Small academic publisher dedicated to the interdisciplinary approach in psychology, psychiatry and related fields. Publisher of The Journal of Mind and Behavior. Sponsor of symposia and conferences on theories of consciousness and mind-body problem in the social sciences.
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Abstract
This paper attempts to meet the challenge of defining operational definitions operationally. A definition is operational to the extent that it specifies the procedure for identifying or generating the definiendum and finds high reliability for the definition. The logical form of this definition, its gradational phrasing, the concepts of "procedure" and "reliability," and the two types of operational definitions are commented upon. The importance of reliability for scientific work is stressed. Experimental procedures for measuring the utility, the reliability, the validity, and the usage of any concepts defined are suggested and proposed as criteria for the excellence of any sociological definition.
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Current issues are now on the Chicago Journals website. Read the latest issue.Established in 1895 as the first US scholarly journal in its field, the American Journal of Sociology [AJS] presents pathbreaking work from all areas of sociology, with an emphasis on theory building and innovative methods. AJS strives to speak to the general sociology reader and is open to contributions from across the social sciences—political science, economics, history, anthropology, and statistics in addition to sociology—that seriously engage the sociological literature to forge new ways of understanding the social. AJS offers a substantial book review section that identifies the most salient work of both emerging and enduring scholars of social science. Commissioned review essays appear occasionally, offering the readers a comparative, in-depth examination of prominent titles.
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Since its origins in 1890 as one of the three main divisions of the University of Chicago, The University of Chicago Press has embraced as its mission the obligation to disseminate scholarship of the highest standard and to publish serious works that promote education, foster public understanding, and enrich cultural life. Today, the Journals Division publishes more than 70 journals and hardcover serials, in a wide range of academic disciplines, including the social sciences, the humanities, education, the biological and medical sciences, and the physical sciences.
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American Journal of Sociology © 1943
The University of Chicago Press
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