Operational definitions and observable variables in scientific research

Scientific Theory

Scientific Method

Operational Definitions

The author of this short report is asked to review a series of six claims that are supposedly scientific and fact-based in nature and review them for efficacy and whether they can be support. The author has chosen the claim that no one has ever been abducted by aliens but instead thoughts and visions are beamed into their head (Rogo, 1990). Under both the scientific method as well as proving a theory, this claim is specious and is unprovable on any real level. The author of this report will explain what is measurable, provable and neither of those things in the ensuing two pages.

The variable that is relevant to the alien abduction assertions are the thoughts relating to the supposed abduction. The operational definition of this variable is that these are thoughts or experiences that, while not physical, are a depiction of a real event or story that has been transmitted from another source in another part of the galaxy. The thoughts are not indicative of the person receiving the thoughts being abducted by any life force.

Observation, Hypothesis, Experimentation & Verfification

Measuring the thoughts and experiences themselves would not be all that hard to do. The person who experiences the thoughts or ideas could make notes about the experience and/or recount was experienced in the dream to the person taking the measurements. Observing the thoughts would be something that only the person supposedly experiencing the thoughts could recite and that is fraught with a number of problems. First, no unbiased third party can see the sights or hear the sounds as they happen as only the person experiencing the thoughts would know what actually happened.

Another problem is that the recollection or veracity of the person recounting the story would absolutely come into question. Whether they're remembering correction and/or whether they are being entirely truthful about what they are saying would valid questions to pose at least to one's self as the story is recited. Finally, even if the recitation of the dream or vision is recited precisely, there is the question of how one can realistically assert that the dream or vision is anything other than that…a dream. This assumes that the entire story is anything more than a fable. Regardless, any assertion that the visions or dreams are linked to another life force is not provable on a number of levels and the major one is that there is no proof that life exists beyond Earth at this time. There will be many that say it can exist and it very well may. However, this has never been proven.