SOC 2109 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Social Exchange Theory, Role Theory, Social Learning Theory
Document Summary
A theory is a set of interrelated propositions that organizes and explains observed phenomena. A theory goes beyond mere observable facts by postulating causal relations among variables. If a theory is valid, it enables its user to explain the phenomena under consideration and make predictions about events not yet observed. Explanations can be described s the stories we tell each other in attempts to produce some order in our lives. Explanations outline paths that lead to particular outcomes. They allow us to feel that we know why something happened, and whether, or not under certain conditions, it is likely to occur again. The range of phenomena that a theory can explain. The simplest explanation is the most likely explanation the one with the fewest leaps of logic is usually the correct one. Frameworks that identify conditions that produce specific social behavior. -explanation of processes by which persuasion prdouces attitude change.
