operationalism

operationalism
operationalist, n.operationalistic, adj.
/op'euh ray"sheuh nl iz'euhm/, n. Philos.
the doctrine that the meaning of a scientific term, concept, or proposition consists of the operation or operations performed in defining or demonstrating it.
Also, operationism.
[1930-35; OPERATIONAL + -ISM]

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In the philosophy of science, the attempt to define all scientific concepts in terms of specifically described operations of measurement and observation.

The length of a rod, for example, may be defined as the number of times a certain stick can be laid end to end alongside it. Propositions that are not amenable to verification through measurement and observation are rejected as meaningless (See also logical positivism). Operationalists rejected the idea of nature as a thing-in-itself existing behind the appearances observed in experimentation. Operationalism is closely associated with the work of the U.S. physicist Percy W. Bridgman (1882–1961).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • operaţionalism — OPERAŢIONALÍSM s.n. (fil.) 1. Concepţie gnoseologică neopozitivistă potrivit căreia noţiunile nu pot avea decât conţinut operaţional, întrucât semnificaţiile sunt generate de operaţii intelectuale. 2. Metodologie care pune în evidenţă funcţia… …   Dicționar Român

  • operationalism — n. (Philos.) the doctrine that the meaning of a proposition consists of the operations involved in defining, proving, or applying it. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • operationalism — [äp΄ə rā′shə nəl iz΄əm] n. Philos. the doctrine that no concept or term used in a purportedly factual statement has valid meaning unless it can be defined in terms of repeatable, empirical operations, experimental procedures, etc.: also… …   English World dictionary

  • operationalism — (or operationism ) The reductive and positivist philosophy of science associated particularly with Bridgman . According to operationalism, propositions about theoretical entities such as particles are disguised propositions about the experiences… …   Philosophy dictionary

  • operationalism — noun Date: 1931 a view that the concepts or terms used in nonanalytic scientific statements must be definable in terms of identifiable and repeatable operations • operationalist noun • operationalistic adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • operationalism — noun A philosophy that attempts to define all scientific concepts in terms of specified operations or procedures of observation and measurement See Also: operationalist …   Wiktionary

  • Operationalism — the philosophy of defining a concept as the operations that will measure the concept (variables) through specific observations …   Mini philosophy glossary

  • operationalism — noun Philosophy a form of positivism which defines scientific concepts in terms of the operations used to determine or prove them. Derivatives operationalist noun & adjective …   English new terms dictionary

  • operationalism — op·er·a·tion·al·ism …   English syllables

  • operationalism — op•er•a•tion•al•ism [[t]ˌɒp əˈreɪ ʃə nlˌɪz əm[/t]] also op er•a′tion•ism n. pho the view that experimental operations must define scientific terms and concepts • Etymology: 1930–35 op er•a′tion•al•ist, n. adj …   From formal English to slang

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