OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS - Pennsylvania State University



Thought Assignment #2 – Operational definitions

Worth up to 3 points of extra credit

In this assignment, your task is to try to come up with operational definitions for emotions, behaviors, and states of being. For each of the following 10 statements, please provide an operational definition for the underlined words. While you are doing this, keep in mind the class/text discussion of operational definitions. An operational definition is a definition that makes it clear how the researcher should go about measuring the process, activity, or thing. THIS ASSIGNMENT SHOULD BE TYPED!

1. An experimenter wants to figure out how recreational drugs affect a person’s sense of humor.

2. The teacher wants to find a way to help make Billy act more friendly toward the other children.

3. A psychologist wants to know if her new form of psychotherapy will make people less depressed.

4. A frustrated student wants to find a way to study more efficiently.

5. Does this drug help people to overcome their tiredness?

6. Boys show more affection toward their mothers than toward their fathers.

7. People dream more if they have eaten a big meal three hours before going to sleep.

8. Penn State students are smarter than students from other universities.

9. School spirit seems to be at an all-time low.

10. Pearl Jam is the best rock and roll group ever.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download