What is a theory

1
What is a theory?

• MIS 611b Behavioral Research Methods
• January 22, 2001

2
Recall

• Tension 4 - Falsifiability vs. Modifiability
• Sounds good, but what of potentially
  unfalsifiable theories like
• Freudian psychodynamics
• Darwinian evolution (experiments now being done)
• Marxist sociological theory
• Systems theory

3
Why are theories useful?

• Science is more than a loose collection of facts
  it is an organized body of knowledge
• Theory provides the blueprint that says how these
  facts can be put together into an organized body
  of knowledge

4
Some definitions

• A theory is a statement about the probable
  relationships among a set of abstract variables
  (e.g., viewing violence causes aggression)
• Induction is the logical process in which the
  conclusion contains more information than than
  the observations on which it is based
• Deduction is a means of reaching a logical
  conclusion from a set of premises (e.g., A is a
  B, and B is a C, therefore, A is a C.
• From our theory, we can predict a number of
  observations. Each predicted observation forms a
  hypothesis for an experiment.

5
Properties of a good theory

• A complete theory must contain 4 essential
  elements (Whetton, 1989).
• What which factors (e.g., variables, constructs,
  concepts) logically should be considered as part
  of the explanation of the phenomenon of interest?
• Right factors include comprehensiveness and
  parsimony
• How how are these factors related? This may
  involve adding arrows to connect the boxes.
  This adds order to the ideas by explicitly
  delineating patterns

6
Properties of a good theory (cont).

• What and How constitute the domain or subject of
  the theory.
• Another essential element is
• Why what are the underlying psychological,
  economic, or social dynamics that justify the
  selection of factors and the proposed causal
  relationships?
• Why should colleagues give credence to this
  particular representation? The answer lies in
  the logic underlying the model/theory.
• Here, logic replaces data as the basis for
  evaluation.

7
Properties of a good theory (cont).

• And finally
• Who, Where, When These temporal and contextual
  factors set the boundaries of generalizability,
  and as such constitute the range of the theory.
• Observations are embedded and must be understood
  within a context

8
Knowledge and Understanding

• Epistemology
• Positivist
• Interpretive
• Critical
• Contextualism
• Knowledge is best viewed as embedded in a
  changing or evolving context of time, space,
  culture, and the local tacit rules of conduct
• Scientific method is constantly evolving