Hi Dears, Are there differences between Operational Definition and Conceptual definition for variables?
Thank you very much
Regards
A conceptual definition tells you what the concept means, what your constructs are by explaining how they are related to other constructs, while an operational definition only tells you how to measure it.
A conceptual definition tells you what the concept means, what your constructs are by explaining how they are related to other constructs, while an operational definition only tells you how to measure it.
I agree with Flourish Itulua-Abumere that the important distinction is the operational definitions are all about how to measure something ( how to "put it into operation"), while conception definitions are more about the theory behind the topic that you are trying to understand.
I agree with previous contributors. But to add more, conceptual definition deals with deep meaning of your conceptual constructs which have its basis on the theory behind the study. On the other hands, operational definition deals with how you can relate your studied constructs to a particular domain under your study.
Example
Conceptual definition: Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to legal adulthood (age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the teenage years, but its physical, psychological or cultural expressions may begin earlier and end later.
Operational definition: Ages 13 - 19 years. This may vary in research, especially if studies involve countries outside the US; thus the researhcer needs to specify the ages. NOTE: "cultural expressions" in conceptual definition.
I agree with researchers that there is a difference between conceptual and operational definitions.Conceptual definition does not merely discuss the deep meaning of a concept, it is also abstract and pave the way for theory building.But operational definition shows how the researcher will empirically establish the concept.The manner in which a variable is measured operational definition.For example I defined radicalism in my book Students and Radical Social Change(The University of Burdwan, Burdwan 2003)as the belief in bringing about fundamental changes in society.I operationalized in terms of three questions , which are linked to Marxism.
Also, when conducting quantitative research, you have to have an operational definition, i.e. no matter what the concept and that definition, it has to be defined as measurable/measured , i.e operational definition(.hence, quantitavive). This can sometines not be so easy in some research . The researcher has to be very knowledgable of the theory and study of his/her study topic in order to use a very good and reliable proxy variable, which is a variable that stands in for an unobservable variable. A proxy variable has to be hghly related to the unobserbable varialbe being measured.
I think that the operational definition varies according to the nature of the research and its variables
A conceptual definition describes a thing in terms of its abstract characteristics and relationships to other conceptual entities. An operational definition describes a thing in terms of the actual physical actions it takes, almost like a recipe. In fact a conceptual definition tells you what the concept means, while an operational definition only tells you how to measure it. A conceptual definition tells what your constructs are by explaining how they are related to other constructs. This explanation and all of the constructs it refers to are abstract. On the other hand, your operational definitions describe the variables you will use as indicators for you or constructs and the procedures you will use to observe or measure the variables.
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