Professional Documents
Culture Documents
COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE
DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
SUB_DATE_27/04/2014 E.C
NAME OF INSTRUCTER EYOAS.A GAMBELLA, ETHIOPIA
Table of contents
1.6. Conclusion/Summary……………………………………………………………...16
1.7. References ………………………………………………………………………...17
Concepts of theory
Theories are explanations of a natural or social behavior, event, or phenomenon. More
formally, a scientific theory is a system of constructs (concepts) and propositions
(relationships between those constructs) that collectively presents a logical, systematic,
and coherent explanation of a phenomenon of interest within some assumptions and
boundary conditions (Bacharach 1989).
Theories should explain why things happen, rather than just describe or predict. Note
that it is possible to predict events or behaviors using a set of predictors, without
There are many benefits to using theories in research. First, theories provide the
underlying logic of the occurrence of natural or social phenomenon by explaining what
are the key drivers and key outcomes of the target phenomenon and why, and what
underlying processes are responsible driving that phenomenon. Second, they aid in
sense-making by helping us synthesize prior empirical findings within a theoretical
framework and reconcile contradictory findings by discovering contingent factors
influencing the relationship between two constructs in different studies. Third, theories
provide guidance for future research by helping identify constructs and relationships that
are worthy of further research. Fourth, theories can contribute to cumulative knowledge
building by bridging gaps between other theories and by causing existing theories to be
reevaluated in a new light.
However, theories can also have their own share of limitations. As simplified
explanations of reality, theories may not always provide adequate explanations of the
phenomenon of interest based on a limited set of constructs and relationships. Theories
are designed to be simple and parsimonious explanations, while reality may be
significantly more complex. Furthermore, theories may impose blinders or limit
researchers’ “range of vision,” causing them to miss out on important concepts that are
not defined by the theory.
Theories are simplified and often partial explanations of complex social reality. As such,
there can be good explanations or poor explanations, and consequently, there can be
good theories or poor theories. How can we evaluate the “goodness” of a given theory?
Theory provides the researcher with a definite view point a direction which goes a long
way toward helping him enquire into relationships between certain variables selected
from among an almost infinite array of variables. As Oppenheimer puts it, “in order for
us to understand anything we have to fail to perceive a great deal that is there.
Knowledge is purchased at the expense of what might have been seen and learned and
was not…it is a condition of knowledge that somehow or the other we pick the clues
which give us insight into what we have to find out about the world. As a storehouse of
meaningful hypotheses a fruitful theory suggests potential problems for study and thus
ignites new investigative studies.
In fact, a theory can be judged productive (to the extent it can spark off a number of
questions. A productive theory suggests potential problems, fruitful hypotheses and
provides new perspectives. Einstein and Infield observe, “It is never possible to
The Central idea of Cohen’s theory is that the delinquent sub-culture evolved by the
working class juveniles is a response of these juveniles to deal with the problem of
individual adjustment attendant upon the difficulty in meeting the criteria of status as
prescribed by the middle-class standards which have to be reckoned with.
The delinquent sub-culture provides alternative criteria of status which these children
can meet and thus, helps them deal with the problem of individual adjustment.
Needless to say, such gaps would not be visible if our facts were not systematized and
organized. It is thus that theory suggests where our knowledge is deficient. A
researcher’s acquaintance with the existing theories helps him to select research
problems that are likely to prove productive and worthwhile and to avoid enquiries into
problems that may prove sterile, yielding no insights. Formulation of worthwhile
questions is an important step and a precondition to the extension of knowledge.
As an isolated empirical uniformity, the finding would not add greatly to our
understanding of suicidal behaviour unless it conceptualized, that is, conceived of as an
illustration of a linkage amongst abstractions of a higher order (e.g., Catholicism-Social
Cohesion unrelieved anxieties-suicide rate). This done, we are easily able to
understand that what was initially taken as an isolated empirical finding of a relationship
between religious affiliation and suicidal behaviour is in fact a reflection of a much more
general relationship between groups with certain conceptualized attributes (social
cohesion) and behaviour of their members. This way, the scope of the original empirical
finding gets considerably extended and several seemingly disparate findings can be
seen to be the contextual manifestations of the general principle. Similarly, to take
another example, the seemingly isolated finding that wives complain of heavy
expenditure when the husband’s relatives are in the house-guests may be understood
on a higher plane of abstraction, to be an instance of the factor of emotional proximity or
distance influencing perception.
The scope of the findings thus enlarged, other apparently disparate findings may be
seen to be interrelated by means of a theoretic thread (e.g., the distorting effect of lack
of confidence or morale on perception may be derived from the same theoretical
orientation). As a mental shorthand, theory summarizes relationships amongst variables
in a conceptual framework. It is through establishing the theoretical pertinence of an
3. The linkage of the specific empirical findings to a more general concept has another
major advantage. It affords a more secure ground for prediction than do these empirical
findings by themselves. The theory by providing a rationale behind the empirical
findings introduces a ground for prediction which is more secure” than mere
extrapolation from previously observed trends. Thus, if studies indicated a decrease in
social cohesion among a community of tribals, the theory-oriented researcher would feel
secure to predict increased rates of suicide in this group. On the contrary, the a
theoretic empiricist would have no alternative but to predict on the basis of
extrapolation.
The prediction may be concerned with estimating whether a relationship between two
variables, X and Y, which has been observed in the past, will continue in future, or it
may be concerned with estimating whether changes in certain conditions will lead to
changes in observed relationship (among the variables). To revert to our earlier
illustration of delinquency, while Cohen points out that there need not be a direct link
between understanding the ’cause’ of a phenomenon and finding a ‘cure,’ his theory
nevertheless seems to suggest that a measure intended to reduce gang delinquency is
likely to be successful to the extent that it either changes the standards by which
working class students are judged in school and (in the community, generally) or helps
them to meet and prove equal to those standards.
5. In affording broader meanings to empirical findings the theory also attests to their
truth. A hypothesis is as much confirmed by fitting it into a theory as by fitting it into
facts, because it then enjoys the support provided by evidence for all the other
hypotheses of the given theory.
6. Theory helps us to identify gaps in our knowledge and seek to bridge them up with
intuitive, impressionistic or extensional generalizations. As Karl Jaspers said, “It is only
when using methodologically classified sciences that we know what we know and what
we do not know.” This way, theory constitutes a crucially important guide to designing of
fruitful research.
The construction and formulation of a sociological theory is very old but in past, there
was no systematic and organized method for its formulation and verification. The
theorists were unable to know that either their theories are valid or invalid but today
there is a standard of verification of theories. The process of theory construction occurs
in a social situation and it depends on the environment of the thinker and his personal
inclination. Following are some steps for the construction of a sociological theory.
Definition of Concepts
Second step is the definition of concepts in a proposition. These concepts must be
defined and explained clearly which give a precise and meaningful characteristics.
Theoretical Concepts
Theoretical concepts are the changing values or variables while the logical relationship
is consider as hypothesis, and is subjected to test. This is very, important component in
theory construction because the validity of sociological theory is based no the validity of
hypothesis to be tested.
Hypothesis Testing
The fifth step in theory construction is the testing of proposed hypothesis empirically
through scientific research methods the hypothesis after testing may be true or wrong
but this process is compulsory.
Data Analysis
The collected information’s in figures is statistical data analysis while the descriptive
information’s are called non-statistical analysis. Data collection and its analysis is based
on the tested and verified hypothesis. The analysis of data gives some findings in favor
and some against the hypothesis.
Evaluation of Theory
The last step in theory construction is the evaluation of theory construction is the
evaluation of theory in the light of collected facts after interpretation and generalization.
The theory may be evaluated as true or false, partially or fully. Postulates are the first
step of theory and its mathematical form is called the law.
Design
The research setting used to test a theory depends on the type of theory that is being
tested. Descriptive theories are tested using a descriptive study design; explanatory
theories are tested using a correlative study design; predictive theories are testing using
an experimental study design; and guiding theories are tested using repeated
measurements and interventions. Descriptive and correlative study designs define the
relationships between the concepts described in theory, but they cannot be used to
identify the causal relationships between concepts. For example, correlation coefficient
Data Collection
Data will be collected through either direct or indirect observations, such as surveys, interviews,
observations and objective measurements. The target population should be representative of the
group or context to which the theory is applicable. The sample size can be calculated by power
analysis according what has been presented in previous studies that were conducted in the
same or sufficiently similar context. Researchers will often develop an instrument that measures
the concept(s) presented in the theory before the statistical testing of theory. The instrument will
have to be pretested and psychometrically tested before the hypotheses are empirically
examined.
Data Analysis
Statistical methods are commonly used to test explanatory, predictive and guiding
theories to draw conclusions about the hypotheses being studied. In particular, factor
analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) have used for testing theories. SEM
combines both factor and regression analyses. It allows the study of causal
relationships between factors by using regression analysis.
The preparation phase, which precedes the testing of a theoretical model, is concerned
with the quality of the data. During this phase, the researcher will test their data for
missing values, univariate and multivariate outliers and normality (for a description of
data quality, see testing an instrument’s psychometric properties). Furthermore,
instrument validity should be confirmed with exploratory factor analysis, and more
preferably, with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
Ontology
Ontology and epistemology are to research what ‘footings’ are to a house: they
form the foundations of the whole edifice.
Researchers have assumptions (sometimes implicit) about reality, how it exists and
what can be known about it. It is the ontological question that leads a researcher to
inquire what kind of reality of exists.
Epistemology
Epistemology refers to “the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge and the
process by which knowledge is acquired and validated” (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2003, p. 13). It is
concerned with “the nature and forms [of knowledge], how it can be acquired and how
communicated to other human beings.
The epistemological question that researcher to debate, the possibility and desirability of
objectivity, subjectivity, causality, validity, generalizability. Adhering to an ontological belief system
Prepared by Tadelech.C / Dept. Sociology /2014 E.C
14
(explicitly or implicitly) guides one to certain epistemological assumptions. Therefore, if a
singular verifiable truth is assumed, “then the posture of the knower must be one of
objective detachment or value freedom in order to be able to discover ‘how things really are’
and ‘how things really work’” (Guba & Lincoln, 1994, p. 108). Conversely, belief in socially
constructed multiple realities leads researchers to reject the notion that people should be
studied like objects of natural sciences; they get involved with the subjects and try and
understand phenomena in their contexts.
Methodology
It refers to the study and critical analysis of data production techniques. It is the “strategy, plan
of action, process or design” that informs one’s choice of research methods (Crotty, 1998,
p. 3). It is concerned with the discussion of how a particular piece of research should be
undertaken. It guides the researcher in deciding what type of data is required for a study and
which data collection tools will be most appropriate for the purpose of his/her study. It is the
methodological question that leads the researcher to ask how the world should be studied.
Methods
project and the researcher’s theoretical mindset. However, it must be noted that use of
particular methods does not entail ontological and epistemological assumptions.
Methods are specific means of collecting and analyses data, such as questionnaires and open
ended interviews. What methods to use for a research project will depend on the design of that
project and the researcher’s theoretical is. However, it must be noted that use of particular
methods does not entail ontological and epistemological assumptions.
1.6 Conclusion/Summary
1.7 References