ABSTRACT
Problem:Inexperiments,researchersgivetreatments,whichneedtobedescribed insufficientdetailsothatreadersgetagoodideaofthenatureofthetreatments. Inaddition,researchmethodstextbooksalsosuggestthattreatmentsshouldbe operationallydefined,thatis,definedintermsofspecificphysicalsteps. Operationaldefinitionsallowconsumersofresearchtoimplementthetreatments intheirownsettings.Inaddition,theyallowotherresearcherstoreplicatethe resultsbyusingexactlythesametreatmentsinadditionalstudies.Thus,thereare twostandardsbywhichthedescriptionofatreatmentusedinanexperimentmay bejudged:(1)doesitgivereadersa"goodidea"ofthegeneralnatureofthe treatment,and(2)doesitdefinethetreatmentoperationally.
