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Please enlighten me, I'm not afraid to be wrong :) I thought an "Operational Definition" was "a result of the process of operationalization and is used to defi

by elipsey 11y ago

Please enlighten me, I'm not afraid to be wrong :) I thought an "Operational Definition" was "a result of the process of operationalization and is used to define something (e.g. a variable, term, or object) in terms of a process (or set of validation tests) needed to determine its existence, duration, and quantity" [1] I thought this meant a procedure who's results satisfy a set of definition criteria. So if the operational definition is "does the decision making algorithm change stuff?" that's derivative, not circular. It might also be inadequate, but you didn't argue that. So we can either chose a set of selection criteria for the results of a procedure, or chose a procedure that satisfies the selection criteria, but if neither of those is good enough, how can we operationalize the definition of anything? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_definition https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_definition

PeterWhittaker 11y ago
I think the simplest way to put it is that a dictionary definition is heuristic while an operational definition is quantifiable. One reads a number of dictionary definitions, and possibly literary works, etc., until one "groks" what the term means. An operational definition usually (or should) include specific objective measurement criteria such that anyone can perform the measurement(s) and conclude whether or not the subject meets the terms of the definition. Unfortunately, the Duarte, et al, article to which this article was a response is not available ($45!) so I cannot tell whether it had operational definitions of diversity, liberalism, conservatism, etc. My guess is that surveys and self-reporting ("do you consider yourself liberal/conservative" or "to what extent do you share this liberal/conservative value", e.g.) were used to evaluate diversity in the field....

by elipsey 11y ago

PeterWhittaker 11y ago

I think the simplest way to put it is that a dictionary definition is heuristic while an operational definition is quantifiable. One reads a number of dictionary definitions, and possibly literary works, etc., until one "groks" what the term means. An operational definition usually (or should) include specific objective measurement criteria such that anyone can perform the measurement(s) and conclude whether or not the subject meets the terms of the definition. Unfortunately, the Duarte, et al, article to which this article was a response is not available ($45!) so I cannot tell whether it had operational definitions of diversity, liberalism, conservatism, etc. My guess is that surveys and self-reporting ("do you consider yourself liberal/conservative" or "to what extent do you share this liberal/conservative value", e.g.) were used to evaluate diversity in the field....