Lecture notes
Theories and the hypothetico-deductive method - week 2 lecture
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- Goldsmiths, University Of London (GUL)
This is notes for the week 2 lecture named: Theories and the hypothetico-deductive method
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Main Topics Covered:1. Theories and their structure.
2. Operational definitions.
3. Stages of scientific enquiry.
4. Inductive and deductive reasoning.
5. Models of hypothesis testing.
6. Kuhn’s Paradigm Shifts.
7. Goals of research.
Theory - Structure:
A theory is a partially verified and tentative statement that explains a scientific
relationship.
Assumptions: Untestable core ‘givens’ of a theory.
Constructs/Theoretical definitions: Abstract definitions of variables.
Operational definitions: These make abstract concepts measurable and concrete.
Hypotheses: Tentative statements about relationships between operationalized
variables.
Operational Definitions:
They define how a theoretical concept is measured or manipulated in concrete
terms.
These are very specific but may limit generalization.
Different researchers may use different operational definitions, especially for
multidimensional constructs.
A single construct can have multiple operational definitions.
Properties of a Good Theory:
1. Testable and can be verified through objective observation.
2. Accounts for a variety of data (broad but concise).
3. Predicts results of future experiments.
4. Parsimonious and simple, avoiding unnecessary complexity.
5. Guides future research.
Scientific Enquiry:
Inductive reasoning (bottom-up):
o Moves from specific observations to general conclusions.
o Often used to develop theories from limited observations (e.g., case studies,
practitioner rules of thumb).
Deductive reasoning (top-down):
o Moves from general theories to specific predictions (hypotheses).
o Used in hypothesis testing (hypothetico-deductive method).
Models of Hypothesis Testing:
o Confirmation: Aims to validate the hypothesis.
o Disconfirmation: Tries to invalidate the hypothesis.
o Theory-pitting: Tests competing theories to see which is more valid.
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