Method Matters in Psychology by Brian D. Haig

Author:Brian D. Haig
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030010515
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

5.4.3 Theory Development

Because they are caught in the grip of hypothetico-deductive orthodoxy , social and behavioural researchers are ever concerned to test theories with respect to their empirical adequacy. A tacit presupposition of such practice is that, somehow, theories have arisen in full-blown form, whereupon they are immediately ready for testing. However, most new theories are in a decidedly underdeveloped state, and the unfortunate result is that researchers unwittingly submit low-content theories to premature empirical testing. This occurs, for example, with the widespread practice in the behavioural sciences of validating theories through null hypothesis significance testing, and it frequently occurs when more complex statistical regression methods are used to test causal models. By contrast, Glaser and Strauss (1967) hold a dynamic perspective on theory construction . This is clear from their claim that ‘the strategy of comparative analysis for generating theory puts a high emphasis on theory as process; that is, theory as an ever-developing entity, not as a perfected product’ (p. 32). In this regard, Glaser and Strauss advise the researcher to be constantly on the lookout for new perspectives that might help them develop their grounded theory, although they do not explore the point in methodological detail.

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