09 Flashcards
The term Theory is inconsistent and may refer to:
A style of descriptions
A classification or typology
A hypothetico-deductive system
A program of research
An elaborate (mathematical or analogical) model
What is the Empiricist (classical) account in the Concept of Theory?
Theories determine the relation between things + are supported by evidence
The classical account was updated as?
Scientific realism (seeks to uncover and describe the actual structure of the world, not just create tools to predict observations)
Constructive empiricism (aims to construct models that fit observable phenomena, without necessarily claiming that the models represent the actual structure of the world)
What is the Propositional account of Theories?
Theories as a set of propositions
They are inferential, general and different from observations
What is the Postmodern account in Theories?
Theory as a story
Knowledge (so theories) is constructed within society
A good theory is eclectic: It integrates diff perspectives/is open-minded
Theoretical traditions in Psych: Dualisitic Doxographies
Lockean tradition
Leibnizean tradition
What is a Doxography?
Compilation or systematic account of the opinions, views, or teachings of past philosophers/scientists/thinkers
What is the Lockean tradition?
Anglo-American psychology
Associationism: behaviourism, stimulus-response
Positivism, operationism
What is the Leibnizean tradition?
Continental psychology
Holism: gestalt psychology, introspectionism
Phenomenology
Theoretical traditions in Psych: Two-dimensional Doxographies
Axis subjectivism-objectivism
Axis molecular-molar
What is the Subjectivism-Objectivism axis?
Subjectivism: Introspectionistic
Objectivism: Behavioristic
What is the Molecular-Molar axis?
Molecular: Fragmentary, local, homogeneous
Molar: Inclusive, global, heterogeneous
Theory-formation as a two-process development (James Heinen)
Inductive-synthetic process
Deductive-analytic process
What is the inductive-synthetic process?
Begins with specific observations/data to form theories
What is the Deductive-analytic process?
Begins with general ideas/concepts to form theories
What are Concatenated theories?
Made up of loosely connected laws that each explain things in similar ways (focus on gathering observations)
What are Hierarchical theories?
Consist of closely related laws that come from a few basic principles (focus on testing ideas based on a core theory)
What is Abducting reasoning?
Forming the most likely explanation for a set of observations or facts
What is Deductive reasoning?
Guarantees conclusions based on premises
What is Inductive reasoning?
Generalizes from specific observations
What is the Theory Construction Methodolohgy (TCM) according to Borsboom et al. (2021)?
- Identifying relevant phenomena (well-established or even self-evident)
2.Formulating a prototheory (abductive reasoning)
3.Developing a formal model (creating statistical patterns)
4.Checking the adequacy of the formal theory (simulations which implement theoretical scenarios)
5.Assessing the overall worth of the theory (hypothetico-deductive method)
What is the hypothetico-deductive method?
Scientific approach used to test theories by making predictions based on hypotheses and then testing those predictions through experiments or observations
What increases the theoretical power of a theory according to the categories of theory-constructions (Joseph Royce)?
Empirical testability, comprehensiveness
Programmatic allows new data in
Descriptive (builds a clear and consistent relationships between concepts)
Explanatory (covers all aspects of a theory while keeping it simple and using only a few principles)
4 surrogates of theory according to Gigerenzer?
One-word explanations
Redescription (circular explanations which contain the problem, e.g. aggressive disposition=aggressive behavior)
Muddy dichotomies (stuck in binary oppositions, e.g. nature vs nurture)
Data fitting
