Operational Definition of Psychological Construct

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A key component of conducting responsible research is defining the variables that will be considered in the study and showing how they will be measured. Without clarifying this information, researchers risk invalidating their research due to mishandled data. If others are relying on you to provide accurate data as a result of your research process, then you must plan ahead and consider factors that could influence the validity of the results of your study.



This assignment will help you prepare an original research proposal. In the first part, you will explore a psychological construct and how other researchers have defined it, then create your own operational definition of the construct to use in a research proposal of your own (building on your proposal each week during the course and submitting it in Week 8). In the second part of this assignment, you will examine factors that could influence the validity of the results of a study, such as reactivity of measurement, sensitivity of the dependent variable, and demand characteristics, and look at strategies for overcoming these challenges. Considering these factors in advance will give you the foundation to develop your own research hypothesis and plan for your proposal.



Complete Parts 1 and 2 below in a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper. (Part 2 should be longer than Part 1.)



Part 1: Operational Definition of Psychological Construct



Select 1 psychological construct. Choose a construct that you might want to use if you were to conduct your own research study.



Note: If you want to use this week’s assignment to prepare for your final research proposal, read the Wk 4 – Research Plan assignment for details.



Locate and read 3 scholarly peer-reviewed articles related to the construct, and do the following:

Summarize how the authors operationally define the construct in each study.
List APA citations for the articles you reviewed.


Develop an operational definition of the construct in your own words based on the peer-reviewed articles. Note that it may be similar to the construct used in the articles. You can use this operational definition to inform your research proposal.



Part 2: Challenges of Observational Methods



Define methods used to observe/measure a dependent variable.



Describe potential challenges to observation that could impact the validity of a study. Consider challenges such as reactivity of measurement, sensitivity of the dependent variable, and demand characteristics.



Explain strategies for overcoming these challenges in a research study.

Reference
Cozby, P. (2019). Methods in behavioral research, 14e (14th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

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