Samenvatting application
,Inhoud
The covering law model..................................................................................................................................................3
Logic................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Theorieën...................................................................................................................................................................... 13
2
, The covering law model
De covering law model/ deductive-nomologie model/ subsumption theory ( Oppenheim; Popper; Hempel) is een
model met daarin twee of meer premises, dit zijn de explanans en een conclusie, dit is de explanandum. Het ziet er
uit als volgt;
Explanans
-law: als x, dan y
- Auxiliary assumption: z is x
Explanandum
- singular statement: voor z houdt in dat y
Een goed model moet aan bepaalde eisen voldoen-> de 4 condities van adequacy (adequaatheid):
• Condition 1: The explanandum must be a logical consequence of the explanans.
• 🡪If all premises in the explanans are true, the explanandum must be true, too.
• Condition 2: The explanans must contain at least one general law and at least one singular statement.
• (Exception: Singular statement is not needed if the explanandum is a law too).
• Condition 3: The explanans must have empirical content.
• I.e., the explanans must be testable / falsifiable.
• The law “If there is anomie in a society, there will be movement.” is not (yet) testable if “anomie”
and “movement” are not defined.
� Assumptions (premises) of theories must be testable and falsifiable.
It must (theoretically) be possible that an observation falsifies a premise.
Ideally, test “all X is Y” by measuring X, Y, and their relationship.
Problem: Social-science theories often include hard-to-measure concepts
Issue 1: Poorly defined concepts
Issue 2: Latent concepts
(cannot be observed directly; e.g. “a person’s self concept”)
Issue 3: falsifiable
• 1. A definition explains the meaning of an “obscure concept” (‘definiendum’) using terms with a clear meaning
(‘definiens’).
Two kinds of definitions:
1. Intensional definitions
specify all conditions for an object to be considered a member of a set.
E.g. “A sociologist is a scientist who studies human societies.”
2. Extensional definitions
lists all members of a set.
E.g. “Sociologists are Durkheim, Marx and Weber. This is a complete list.”
Meest voorkomende fouten:
3
,Inhoud
The covering law model..................................................................................................................................................3
Logic................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Theorieën...................................................................................................................................................................... 13
2
, The covering law model
De covering law model/ deductive-nomologie model/ subsumption theory ( Oppenheim; Popper; Hempel) is een
model met daarin twee of meer premises, dit zijn de explanans en een conclusie, dit is de explanandum. Het ziet er
uit als volgt;
Explanans
-law: als x, dan y
- Auxiliary assumption: z is x
Explanandum
- singular statement: voor z houdt in dat y
Een goed model moet aan bepaalde eisen voldoen-> de 4 condities van adequacy (adequaatheid):
• Condition 1: The explanandum must be a logical consequence of the explanans.
• 🡪If all premises in the explanans are true, the explanandum must be true, too.
• Condition 2: The explanans must contain at least one general law and at least one singular statement.
• (Exception: Singular statement is not needed if the explanandum is a law too).
• Condition 3: The explanans must have empirical content.
• I.e., the explanans must be testable / falsifiable.
• The law “If there is anomie in a society, there will be movement.” is not (yet) testable if “anomie”
and “movement” are not defined.
� Assumptions (premises) of theories must be testable and falsifiable.
It must (theoretically) be possible that an observation falsifies a premise.
Ideally, test “all X is Y” by measuring X, Y, and their relationship.
Problem: Social-science theories often include hard-to-measure concepts
Issue 1: Poorly defined concepts
Issue 2: Latent concepts
(cannot be observed directly; e.g. “a person’s self concept”)
Issue 3: falsifiable
• 1. A definition explains the meaning of an “obscure concept” (‘definiendum’) using terms with a clear meaning
(‘definiens’).
Two kinds of definitions:
1. Intensional definitions
specify all conditions for an object to be considered a member of a set.
E.g. “A sociologist is a scientist who studies human societies.”
2. Extensional definitions
lists all members of a set.
E.g. “Sociologists are Durkheim, Marx and Weber. This is a complete list.”
Meest voorkomende fouten:
3
