COMM THEORY: On Its Scientific Nature

1. COMM THEORY:On Its Scientific Nature John A. Cagle, Ph.D. Communication California State University, Fresno

2. ISOMORPHISM • There exists a dynamic isomorphism among reality, phenomena, theory, research design, instrumentation, statistical analysis, and computer technology. • More elements are involved, but these illumine the character of science as we move into the 21st Century.

3. Reality Knowledge Language Statistics Perception Theory Design Isomophism is the identity in form and substance between all of these “constructions of reality.”

4. Reality Knowledge Language Design Perception Theory Statistics Induction Deduction Isomophism is the identity in form and substance between all of these “constructions of reality.”

5. SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY • Two Imperatives of Science • Verifiability • Corrigibility • Philosophical Approaches • Rules • Systems • Laws

6. Ideal Process in Science

7. Verifiability & Corrigibility

8. Making Observations in Science Is Called Measurement Measurement is the assignment of numerals to objects or events according to rules. – S. S. Stevens

9. Conceptual to Observational Levels ConceptualLevel Alienation Theory Level ConceptualComponents Self-Estrangement Powerlessness Meaninglessness Normlessness Isolation Expectancythat behaviorcannotdetermineoutcomes Expectancythatunapprovedbehaviors arerequired Assignmentof lowreward valuesto goals ConceptualDefinitions Perceivedinability tocomprehenddecisions Anticipationof rewardsthat lieoutside theactivity itself A set ofquestionnaireitems A set ofquestionnaireitems A set ofquestionnaireitems A set ofquestionnaireitems OperationalDefinitions A set ofquestionnaireitems Research Level ObservationalLevel Responses toquestionnaire Responses toquestionnaire Responses toquestionnaire Responses toquestionnaire Responses toquestionnaire

10. NOIR: Kinds of Observation • Nominal: something is observed and given a name (e.g., hostile, leader, task) • Ordinal: things in the nominal category are given a relationship to one another (e.g., tall-short, better-worse, etc.) • Interval: numbers to label things with a relationship have precise distance between them (e.g., 8 is twice as much as 4) • Ratio: there is a zero point in observation (e.g., speech preparation, number of words)

11. Third place Second place First place Primary Scales of Measurement Scale NominalNumbers Assigned to Runners OrdinalRank Order of Winners IntervalPerformance Rating on a 0 to 10 Scale Ratio Time to Seconds Finish 7 8 3 Finish 8.2 9.1 9.6 15.2 14.1 13.4

12. Abraham Kaplan Kaplan’s “styles of thinking” from The Conduct of Inquiry

13. Literary Academic Eristic Symbolic Postulational Formal Analytic is the logical character of scientific statements Synthetic is the empirical character of scientific statements Theories Reflect Kaplan's Levels of Thinking

14. Kaplan’s Styles of Thinking Formal Math—No empirical loadings Postulational Empirical loadings Increasing Analytic Rigor Eristic theories Academic theories Literary theories Increasing Synthetic Rigor

15. Kaplan’s Styles of Thinking William Hays Claude Shannon Charles Osgood Formal Math—No empirical loadings Postulational Empirical loadings Thibaut & Kelley Increasing Analytic Rigor Gerald Miller Eristic theories Hugh Duncan Academic theories Leon Festinger Literary theories Kenneth Burke Increasing Synthetic Rigor

16. Investigation • Select a phenomenon and list all its components & their characteristics. • Observe/measure all of these characteristics in a variety of situations. • Analyze the observations to determine if there are any patterns worthy of further attention. • If patterns have been found in the observations, state these patterns as theoretical statements.

17. Confirming Research • Develop a theory. • Select a statement generated by the theory (hypothesis) for comparison with observation (empirical research). • Conduct research to “test” the chosen statement by observations using an experimental design. • If the statement derived from the theory does not correspond with observational results, make appropriate changes in the theory or in the research design and continue with the research. • If the statement from the theory corresponds with the results of the research, select additional statements for testing and/or apply theory in world with some confidence.

18. Criteria to Evaluate Theories • Theoretical scope • Testability • Parsimony • Utility • Heuristic value • Validity

19. Logically consistent Consistent with accepted facts Testable Simple Parsimonious Consistent with related theories Interpretable: explain and predict Useful Pleasing to the mind CRITERIA Necessary Desirable

20. Testing Theories • Hypotheses and Research Questions • Quantitative Research • Qualitative Research • Critical Scholarship

21. Ron Wright, University of Arizona