ROLE OF THEORY IN RESEARCH|My homework helper

Posted: March 9th, 2023

ROLE OF THEORY IN RESEARCH

Popular usage of the word “theory” may sometimes imply a singular, often grand idea. The world, however, is complex, and the systems designed to understand it, such as theory, are often intricate in order to sufficiently explain the world as it is. Indeed, as you will learn this week, theory is nuanced, and it can also be viewed as a combination of variables, ideas, or constructs to test or advance a research question. In addition, theory tends to play a different role in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research.

For this Discussion, you will consider the role of theory in research and the relationship between theory and philosophical orientations. You will also familiarize yourself with a theory in your field so that you may become more conversant in your discipline’s theoretical foundations.

Post an explanation of the role of theory in research. Next, identify a theory in your discipline and explain its basic tenets. Then, with this theory in mind, consider your answer to the following question posed by Drs. Burkholder and Burbank in last week’s reading: “What do I have to believe about the world and about human beings in order for me to accept or use this theory?” (p. 27).  Finally, describe the extent to which the epistemological and ontological assumptions of your chosen theory align with the philosophical orientation that reflects your worldview.

Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.

Post an explanation of the role of theory in research. Next, identify a theory in your discipline and explain its basic tenets. Then, with this theory in mind, consider your answer to the following question posed by Drs. Burkholder and Burbank in last week’s reading: “What do I have to believe about the world and about human beings in order for me to accept or use this theory?” (p. 27).  Finally, describe the extent to which the epistemological and ontological assumptions of your chosen theory align with the philosophical orientation that reflects your worldview.

Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.

Resources

• de Vaus, D. A. (2001). Research design in social research Download Research design in social research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  Research Design in Social Research by De Vaus, D.A. Copyright 2001 Sage Publications Ltd. Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Ltd., via the Copyright Clearance Center.
  • Chapter 1, “The Context of Design”
• Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J.H. (Eds.) (2020). Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner. SAGE Publications, Inc.
  • Chapter 3, “Conceptual and Theoretical Frameworks in Research”
• Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
  • Chapter 2, “Paradigms, Theory, and Research”
• Walden University: Library. (2015b). Searching and finding information in the library databases: OverviewLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/searchingfinding

  Be sure to review all sections within this guide: “Overview,” “Keyword Searching,” “Subject and Index Searching,” and “Find Full Text.”

SOLUTION

Theory plays a crucial role in research as it provides a framework to guide the research process and interpretation of data. It helps researchers to identify relevant variables, generate hypotheses, and test them using empirical evidence. Theories also enable researchers to make sense of the data by providing explanations of the relationships among the variables and the mechanisms underlying those relationships. In my discipline, which is psychology, one prominent theory is the Social Learning Theory developed by Albert Bandura. According to this theory, behavior is learned through observation, modeling, and reinforcement. Individuals acquire new behaviors by observing the actions of others and the consequences of those actions. The theory posits that three main factors influence the likelihood of behavior being imitated: the characteristics of the model, the characteristics of the observer, and the consequences of the behavior.