Example of Operationalizing a Variable: Learning

Example of an Experimental Procedure: Testing a Teaching Method

A researcher hypothesizes that students who get more sleep will have better memory. To test this, the researcher asks one group of students to sleep for 8 hours the night before an exam and a second group to sleep for 6 hours. The next day, the researcher measures 'memory' by counting the number of correct answers on a 20-question multiple-choice test. Which part of this study description represents the operational definition of 'memory'?

A researcher plans to study the impact of listening to music on a person's mood. Which of the following is the best operational definition for the 'mood' variable in this study?

Operational Definition of Depression

Existing Measure

Creating a New Measure

Perceived Stress Scale

Purpose of Operational Definitions

Converging Operations

Self-Report Measure

Behavioral Measure

Physiological Measure

Which of the following best describes an operational definition in psychological research?

Researchers must transform abstract concepts into concrete, measurable forms. Match each psychological construct with an appropriate operational definition.

In psychological research, it is possible for two different researchers to study the same abstract construct while using different operational definitions to measure it.