Notes on Theory Construction

Importance of Theory

• "Theory" is a model of the way things work.
• "Research" is testing theory--Prove the obvious.
  1. Hypothesis testing
  2. Falsifiability
     • can it be disproven?
     • try to prove the opposite
  3. Need to continually probe theory

Theory Construction

• General & Auxiliary Theories
  1. Small number of abstract variables linked in explicit ways
  2. Simplicity (few variables)
• Deductive Theory
  1. Composed of axioms (causal statements) and theorems (covariation & temporal sequence statements)
  2. Covariance statements--problem of causal asymmetry
  3. Inventory of Causes (including intervening variables)
  4. Chains & loops
• Levels of Abstraction
  1. Element/Class: difficulty shifting up
  2. Class/Subclass: ordered elements (nested classes)
• Truth Tables
  1. Negation
  2. Conjunction
  3. Disjunction
  4. Implication
  5. "Modus Ponens"
  6. "Modus Tollens"
  7. Material Equivalence

MSU