Postulat operacyjności definicji w naukach społecznych
Definition’s Operativeness Postulate in Social Sciences

Summary/Abstract: The article’s primary goal is to demonstrate the problems inherited in “operationism – antioperationism” polemics. The opinions on operationism are divided. The term “operationistic views” is a conceptual cluster, in which the components’ meanings are imprecise. The term “operational definition” shares the same quality. In general science methodology many distinguished social science methodologists continue developing and modifying operationism. Both the supporters and critics of operationism have succeeded in formulating a significant number of prominent methodological issues; operationism studies inspire thinking on the methods of concepts, indicators and techniques selection in science as well as on the reasoning for the choices made. I suggest to call the extension of operativeness postulate the operativity postulate. It reads: concepts are to be defined through descriptions of observable states of matter. Definition’s operativity postulate shall be applied to definitions of indicated properties (in cases of definitional indicator) as well as to definitions of indicators (in case of correlation indicator).

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