Theories in Scientific Research
Attributes of a good theory
Approaches to Theorizing
Examples of Social Science theories
Theories
Theories are explanation of a natural or social behavior, event, or phenomenon
Building Blocks of a Theory (Constructs, Proposition, Logic, and boundary conditions/assumptions
Idiographic explanations explain a single situation or event in idiosyncratic detail
Nomothetic explanation seek to explain a class of situations or events rather than a specific situation or event.
Propositions are association postulated between constructs based on deductive logic
Logic provides the basis for justifying the proposition as postulated
Constructs are abstract concepts specified at a high level of abstraction that are chosen specifically to explain the phenomenon of interest
All theories are constrained by assumption about values, time, and space, and boundary conditions that govern where the theory can be applied and where it cannot be applied
Explanatory power
Falsifiability
Logical consistency
Parsimony
The first approach is to build theories inductively based on observed patterns of events or behaviors
The second approach conducts bottom-up conceptual analysis to identify different sets of predictors relevant to the phenomenon of interest using a predefined framework
The third approach to theorizing is to extend or modify existing theories to explain a new context
The fourth approach is to apply existing theories in entirely new contexts by drawing upon the structural similarities between the two contexts
Agency Theory
Theory of Planned Behavior
Innovation diffusion theory
Elaboration Likelihood Model
General Deterrence Theory