noun
- Plural of operationalism; philosophical or methodological approaches that define concepts or entities in terms of the operations or procedures used to measure, test, or produce them.
Usage: philosophy; methodology; technical
Examples
- Different operationalisms in physics may define temperature differently based on the measurement instruments used.
- The debate between competing operationalisms shaped how scientists understood fundamental concepts.
- Operationalisms emphasize that meaning derives from the concrete procedures we use to verify or measure something.
- Critics argue that strict operationalisms can limit theoretical understanding by reducing concepts to mere procedures.