Final answer:
In psychology, a theory is a comprehensive set of ideas that explains observed phenomena and is supported by repeated testing, a hypothesis is a testable tentative explanation, a construct is a hypothetical mechanism explaining behavior, and an operational definition is how researchers measure unobservable constructs.
Step-by-step explanation:
In psychology, a theory is a well-supported explanation of observations. It is not just a simple guess; it is a scientific explanation that has been repeatedly tested and supported by extensive experimentation and observation. When we say something is a theory in psychology, we're talking about a robust set of ideas that proposes an explanation for observed phenomena. Researchers then create hypotheses to test specific aspects of a theory; these are tentative explanations that require further investigation and experimental validation.
In research, a construct is a hypothetical mechanism that does not have a physical form but is used to understand and explain certain behaviors within a psychological theory. Finally, an operational definition is crucial in psychology as it translates a construct into a measurable event. It's how researchers measure something that isn't directly observable, making it a stand-in for a more abstract concept.