Test #1 Flashcards
(89 cards)
Theory
An interrelated set of statements about reality that are logically tied together and empirically testable
Concepts
Categories of things identified with a term (ex: boring, interesting, etc.)
Connection
Relating of concepts to one another (ex: shyness causes a feeling of boredom in listeners)
Propositions
Statements that associate or connect a concept to one or more other concepts
Correlation
When two concepts are associated
Casual Loop (mutual causation)
circular connection
Action Connection
Action concept takes lead to a goal or outcome (people can choose to do various things to reach certain goals)
Propositions are…
the building blocks of theory
A theory is….
an organized set of propositions
How theory is created
Theory is a way of packaging reality, a way of understanding it,”You cannot understand reality without theory”
Steps of creating a theory
Concepts > Connections / Relationships between them > how to organize them > Title Theory
Fit
Theories MUST have Fit and Utility. FIT is the degree to which categories and relations in a theory explain our experience of events
Utility
Theories must have Fit and Utility. Utilities —- Do they help us do things?
Descriptive Value
How things work. More scientific approach to explaining the world
Critical Value
What is wrong with how things work? Political approach to show how people are oppressed or disadvantages in the world
Objective Measurement
“Look” of a theory. Scales/measure.
Subjective Measurement
Wits/give a reading. Interpretation
Validity
Involves a set of procedures designed to make sure that what you see is really what you see
Reliability
Set of procedures designed to make sure your method observation is consistent
Broad Scope
In general idea
Narrow Scope
An in scope idea
Incremental Growth
Adding new theories
Developmental Growth
Process of elaborating/improving existing theories
Canonical Development
certain standard theories serve as the “Canon” of the community