Operational definition

An operational definition is a clear, precise explanation of a concept or variable that specifies how it will be measured or manipulated in a particular study or experiment. It translates abstract concepts into measurable and observable terms, allowing researchers to assess and quantify them in a consistent manner. For example, if a researcher is studying "stress," an operational definition might specify that stress is measured by the number of self-reported stressful events in the past month or by physiological measures such as cortisol levels.