operational definition
短语词形变化
释义与例句
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1.
A showing of something — such as a variable, term, or object — in terms of the specific process or set of validation tests used to determine its presence and quantity.
The operational definition of a well-behaved student might be set at the threshold of "no more than 2 detentions in each semester".
To divide the spectrum of spicy sauces into three categories of "mildly spicy", "moderately spicy", and "extremely spicy", we set the operational definitions of "mild", "moderate", and "extreme" as (a) 0 to 3 × 10³ Scoville units, (b) more than 3 × 10³ up to 100 × 10³, and (c) more than 100 × 10³, respectively.
The position of certain recent publications is examined and criticized because they seem to imply (a) that under some circumstances ambiguous concepts are more useful than precise ones and (b) that operational difinitions are of limited usefulness in sociology because of their dependence upon quantitative characteristics, whereas some items referred to by sociological concepts are "essentially qualitative in nature." Both assumptions are here questioned.
Those sociologists who advocate greater use of operational definitions have been challenged to define "operational definition" operationally. This paper attempts to meet that challenge.