This page describes the beneficially efficient nature of Operational Definitions, or OpDefs. The remaining chapters of this book “PTP –All It Is” use those OpDefs to make the PTP tools more practical for you to use.
The use of 20, and ONLY 20, specific terms for PTP presents an interesting challenge. If I claim that these PTP terms can be used universally to describe any aspect of human behavior, then ANY human should be able to use these, and only these, terms. And, hey, I am sticking to that claim!
Since Energy, in either its wave or particle form, is usually observable and measurable, each PTP operational definition should relate and connect to those two aspects of Energy.
Unfortunately, sometimes Operational Definitions (OpDefs) are pretty dry, boring descriptions. That is why, in another section of “PTP – All It Is,” I usually also provide both a short story example, and a physical exercise of human behavior that any reader should be able to replicate, observe, and measure. Keep a cup of caffeine nearby, just in case!
Most paradigms, or theoretical frameworks, use primarily concepts, ideas, thoughts, beliefs and similar constructions to explain themselves. However, perhaps you already realized that “concepts, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs” are NOT observable and measurable. But PTP has always been about getting to the core of these conceptual matters, and finding out just what exists at that core of each one. Better yet, at the core of them all. That is one main way in which PTP really is a totally different animal.
So, as you look over the OpDefs of PTP’s 20 terms, don’t worry about feeling lost or confused. At first, I present as short and specific as possible an Operational Definition for each term. OpDefs were created to be a challenging read, in order to increase accuracy and to decrease verbiage! But then I encourage you to move on to the example stories and behavioral exercises in another section of this web site. These will all be an “easier read.” Maybe even entertaining!
I should also remind the reader that, in PTP, you are occasionally going to find a word that I had to “make up” for the sake of efficiency. I also had to “add/adjust” a different kind of definition to a few words, because the original word had too many other definitions. For example, the word “resistance” has meanings in several areas of study. With PTP, I had to narrow that definition down to one specific area. That is why, as you learn about PTP, keep these OpDefs pages available, so you will know just what, how, and why I used the term that I used when I used that term!
Try them out! It might be fun!
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If this is your first experience with “Operational Definitions”, the next few paragraphs cover a brief introduction to the topic. However, if you’ve already “been there and read that,” feel free to skip ahead.
I quickly researched several official definitions for the term “operational definition.” It’s usually a sciencey thing. Specific, measurable, replicatable, etc. The kind of paragraph you tried hard to ignore or quickly skim in school. Although creating operational definitions is a bit tougher with theories in philosophies and psychologies, the creator of a paradigm must at least try to get as close to a simple, efficient and accurate definition of a term used in that paradigm.
These following definition excerpts are what show up during a brief random internet search:
“An operational definition is the articulation of (or statement of procedures) used in defining the terms of a process … needed to determine the nature of an item or phenomenon and its properties … such as duration, quantity, extension in space, chemical composition, etc. The procedures included in definitions should be repeatable by anyone.”
“Mental processes can not be observed directly, because all psychological concepts and labels, like learning, memory, motivation, personality, etc, are inside your mind/brain. Therefore, to study and measure them you need to measure something that reflects these processes. These “stand-ins” for mental processes are called operational definitions.”
“Operational definitions define concepts and labels by the way they are measured. For example, an operational definition of weight could be: how much a spring stretches when you hang something from it, or how many pennies it takes to balance the weight of something. All psychological concepts and labels, like learning, memory, motivation, personality, etc, are theoretical concepts, which cannot be measured directly.”
“A formal definition is based upon a concise, logical pattern that includes as much information as it can within a minimum amount of space.”
“An operational definition is a definition that assigns meaning to a construct or variable by specifying the activities or operations necessary to measure the construct or variable. Alternatively, an operational definition is a specification of the activities of the researcher in measuring a variable or in manipulating it. An operational definition is a sort of manual of instructions to the investigator. In short, it defines or gives meaning to a variable by spelling out what the investigator must do to measure the variable.”
“The best way to define a student’s behavior is to create an operational definition. In an operational definition, a behavior is explicitly or clearly defined such that it is measurable, can be identified by two or more observers, and can be identified across time and in different settings or contexts.”