This issue becomes sharper when we ask the question of purpose: what are the aims of operational analysis, and which operations are suitable for achieving those aims?
This innovative scheme usually needs time to refine its operation and overcome its shortcomings as highlighted by the operational analysis.
Among Dstl's activities are high-level operational analysis to support the Ministry of Defence along with providing support to counter-terrorism and frontline operations – to name just a few.
Bombing at night reduced vulnerability to fighters, but finding and hitting targets proved difficult: nothing smaller than a city could be effectively attacked, and, as operational analysis revealed in 1941 42, ordinary crews had trouble doing even that.
As one can imagine, this dilemma also hampered attempts to use operational analysis in psychology.
Rather, he offered operational analysis as a tool of self-diagnosis and self-improvement.
Bridgman's operational analysis was intended to "render unnecessary the services of the unborn Einsteins" (1927: 24).
It is assumed in the operational analysis that there is only one skill underlying the items.
Indeed, Skinner maintained that behaviorism is "nothing more than a thoroughgoing operational analysis of traditional mentalistic concepts" (1945: 271).
Section 1 introduces Bridgman's key ideas on operational analysis, explaining their motivations and tracing the course of their development.
Section 3 gives a view on the remaining potential of Bridgman's ideas on operational analysis for philosophy of science today.
