Conceptualization and Operationalization
Now, we are going to focus on the specific steps involved in doing research in more detail. We are going to start with the step call conceptualization and operationalization.
When we begin to do research, one of the first things that we have to address is conceptual issues. That is, we need to define what we are studying.
I Conceptualization: Providing a very precise definition of the topics or concepts being investigated. Developing a "working definition."
A. Why is it so important that we come up with a "working definition" of the concepts we are investigating.
1. Helps us focus on what we are really studying. Guides how we investigate what we are studying.
2. Also lets others know what exactly it is we are studying.
For example:
Look at these two definitions of "deceptive communication"
· providing others with information that is not true.
· providing others with information that one believes to be inaccurate with the intent to misleading them.
The first definition includes everything that we say to other people that doesn’t turn out to be true.
While the second definition includes those things we say to other people, whether they are true or not, as long as we believe that aren’t true. In other words, the second definition includes those times we are actually telling the truth, but think we are lying.
These examples show how important it is to come up with working definitions. Working definitions guide what we study and let others know exactly what it is we are studying.
Note that not everyone must agree with your working definition, but at least they will know what it is you are studying.
When people don’t provide clear conceptual definitions, many problems are encountered. The biggest problem is that different people may think they are studying the same topic, but they aren't.
This partially explains why people supposedly studying the same topic often get different results or inconsistent findings -- they were really studying two different phenomenon -- their research was guided by two very different definitions of the topic being studied.
The key thing to remember about conceptualization, is that it is very abstract process. That is, definitions produced are conceptual in nature.
II Operationalization Process of coming up with a concrete, practical definition of how a concept will be observed.
Spell out exactly how the topic be observed. Specify the exact procedures that will be carried out when observing a variable or concept.
Specify precisely all of the steps involved in observing the topic.
Identify what will count and what won’t count.
A. General Issues to Address
1. Capturing range of variation
Human behavior and characteristics vary from one extreme to another. Do the procedures you are proposing allow you to observe the entire range of behavior?
For example:
If you are trying to observe how intelligent people are. Do the procedures you employ allow you to note very intelligent people as well as very unintelligent people. Or do the procedures you use, lump all intelligent people together, without distinguishing very intelligent people from people that are just intelligent, but not extremely intelligent.
2. Degree of precision
Now that you have decided the range of behavior that your procedures are going to allow you to observe -- you need to decide how precise your observations need to be.
By precision, I don’t mean accuracy, but level of detail or refinement.
In other words, do the procedures used make very rough distinctions or very fine distinctions. That is, how many possible distinctions do your procedures allow you to make.
For example: If you are observing height, do the procedures only allow you to make very rough distinctions such as very short, short, medium, tall and very tall or do they allow you to make thousands of distinctions -- observing height in terms of millimeters.
3. Reliability
How reliable are the procedures we employ?
When we employ the same procedures on the same individual or unit under investigation, will we get the same answer?
For example:
Think of reliability in terms of a bathroom scale. If you get on the scale and you weigh a hundred pounds and then one minute later you get on the same and you weigh a hundred and ten pounds, then the scale is not reliable.
4. Validity
How valid are our procedures? How well do our operational procedures mesh with our conceptual definitions?
Do our operational procedures actually allow us to observe the concepts we claim to be studying. In short, do our procedures allow us to observe what we say we are studying.