P. W. (Percy Williams) Bridgman

The logic of modern physics

"The Logic of Modern Physics" by P. W. Bridgman is a philosophy of science book published in 1927. This groundbreaking work explicitly identifies and explains operationalism for the first time, introducing the concept of operational definition. Though originally intended for physics methodology, the book profoundly influenced social sciences during the 1930s and 1940s. Its impact on psychology, particularly behaviorism, ultimately surpassed its effect on the physical sciences, shaping psychological method throughout the twentieth century.