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Author Question: Why is it necessary to create operational definitions for psychological research? What will be an ... (Read 70 times)

JGIBBSON

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Why is it necessary to create operational definitions for psychological research?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

How do directionality and the third variable problem hamper our assessment of causation?
 
  What will be an ideal response?



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bblaney

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Answer to Question 1

Many psychological concepts are complex and abstract, therefore not easily measured. An operational definition permits us to develop an objective, measurable way to work with an abstract idea. Operational definitions also allow others to evaluate our research and to repeat our procedures.

Answer to Question 2

Directionality refers to an inability to see which of two variables is the cause and which is the effect. The third variable problem refers to the fact that, even though two variables are correlated, a third variable might be the cause. In correlational studies, we cannot logically tell the direction of causation; we also may not be able to spot a third variable that might really be causal.




JGIBBSON

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Reply 2 on: Jul 13, 2018
Great answer, keep it coming :)


flexer1n1

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Reply 3 on: Yesterday
Gracias!

 

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