PSYC 2250 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Operational Definition, Pilot Experiment, Construct Validity

• School: University of Manitoba
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2250
• Professor: Hladkyj

Document Summary

After deciding on a research design to test your hypothesis, the next steps involve detailing the operational definitions for each variable and creating an experience for your participants. During this process, all efforts must be made to control as many elements of the situation as possible to ensure internal validity. To manipulate independent variables, and to measure the variables in the study you need to construct an operational definition of each variable (turn a conceptual variable into a set of operations) Researchers must decide on a way to manipulate the independent variable. One way to think about operational definitions is to distinguish straightforward from staged manipulations. Straightforward manipulations: operational definitions that involve manipulating the independent variable using instructions or other stimulus materials in a simple way. Stimuli may be presented verbally, in written form, videotape, or with a computer. Straightforward manipulations are used to operationally define many independent variables in all areas of behavioral research.