That, however, doesn t prove anything because a similar point might be made about us. But, obviously, no such fact could show that we are never creative or free and the corresponding claim about computers is no more telling. If it is taken to mean either that the programmer can foresee everything the program will do or that the program will do all and only what the programmer intended it to do, then it is false. Summary Operational definitions are definitions of concepts stated in terms of observable operations that can be measured. We ensure that theories are falsifiable by making certain that the key concepts in theories have operational definitions stated in terms of well-replicated behavioral observations.
Operational definitions are one major mechanism that makes scientific knowledge publicly verifiable.
Because psychology employs terms from common discourse, such as intelligence and anxiety, and because many people have preexisting notions about what these terms mean, the necessity of operationally defining these terms is often not recognized. No science provides such answers to ultimate questions. Psychology, like other sciences, seeks to continually refine its operational definitions so that the concepts and theories more accurately reflect the way the world actually is.