Mike Wants to Know How Many Licks It Takes to Get

Mike wants to know how many licks it takes to get to the center of his all-day sucker. He tells his friends that "one full gyration of the tongue around the outer surface of the lollipop" is what constitutes a "lick." In an informal way, Mike is offering a(n) :

A) way to use casual observation to answer his question.
B) way to eliminate the reactivity sometimes associated with observation.
C) operational definition for the property he wants to measure.
D) excuse for eating a lot of candy.