Defining a problem 3. Proposing a hypothesis 4. Theory building hypothesis is a tentative explanation of an event or observation. Hypotheses are clearly stated and testable. To test the hypothesis, we need to operationally define our terms.
Operational definitions state the specific actions or procedures used to measure something.
Research Methods Naturalistic Observation - observing behavior as it occurs in its natural setting or environment. That is, the presence of an outsider in the group may change the behavior you are trying to observe and measure. Correlational Studies - Seeks to establish the degree of relationship between two variables. Two factors of interest are measured, then a statistical calculation is performed to find their degree of correlation. This means that we can perfectly predict one event from our knowledge of another event.