...I. What is a concept? a. A building block of a theory, can be a few of them, b. abstract ideas that cannot be visualized. Such as pain or coping or social support. You can have an idea in your mind of what these are but you cant actually touch any of these. Can you touch social support? You can probably touch a part of your body that may feel some sense of pain but the actual concept itself cannot be touched. c. Tend to be universal which means they apply equally to everything related. d. Concepts tend to be the basic elements of propositions (or statements that result from reason). If you remember geometry they had the proposition they had the “if A equaled B and B equaled C.Does A equal C.” That is the idea of what propositions are and they take concepts and build on them to create these statements to help define whatever we are discussing such as theory, research study. e. Help to integrate unrelated phenomena into a hypothesis which creates research. Critical to have very defined concepts and the concepts needed to be created into hypothesis so that you had something to study. That is critical when we discuss concepts and research i. Phenomenon is any even that can be experiences via senses, it is observable and can be seen. ii. Proposition: closed sentence or statement 1. Like geometry: If A=B and B=C, then A=C 2. Tend to be true or false 3. Content of beliefs and or assertions...
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...Theory Charlie Salmon PSY/211 ESSENTIALS OF PSYCHOLOGY May 20, 2011 Alberta Robinson Theory Theory is something I use on a daily basis whether it be at work, at school or at home. Sometimes I even use theory when I am on vacation. At my previous job I used theory on everyday customers. When they come in, most of the time, just judging by their looks and body language I can usually predict on how much they will spend in the store. I do know that judging a person solely on his or her looks is not the proper way of judging, but unfortunately most of the time this is correct. Fortunately, I have had the chance to test out a theory I have while I was on vacation one year. I was on my way to Laughlin to go gamble at the casinos there during my visit to Las Vegas. I was in a hurry to get there because I didn’t want to spend all day driving. So on the way to Laughlin I had gotten pulled over by Highway Patrol for going to fast and unfortunately the officer gave me a speeding ticket. After that, I had the hunch that I was going to lose. And sure enough, I was right. Since then, every time I go to a casino to gamble and I rush to get there, I end up of losing Similarities between my research and that done by psychiatrists are very similar because both my research and a psychiatrist’s research are done by experimenting. I have experimented my theory and deemed it to be true. If I was given another opportunity to go back to my Las Vegas vacation, I would slow down and take my...
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...Shauna Clack-Davis DQ 1 Theories What is a theory? Theory is defined in the Webster as (an ideal or hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances). In other words, theory is an explanation of how you view reality. When you talk about theory you should be able to clearly show how and why certain events occur. If your theory doesn’t come across in a way that people can understand it then that may just be considered as just a strong opinion. According to the readings in Chapter 2, Theories should not be confused with facts and theories should raise questions it should have your listeners researching the information that you have provided. Behaviorism (grand theory) The theory that I chose was behaviorism. Behaviorism is a grand theory of the human development and studies the observation of behavior. This theory is also a learning theory it explains the laws and the process as to how people learn to behave. According to John Watson, “if psychologists can focus on behavior, they will realize that everything can be learned.” I can apply this theory to several concepts as it relates to my Christian worldview. The first concept is prayer; the very first prayer that is learned is The Lord’s Prayer. Through behavior you learned this either listening to someone recite this prayer or you learned it by reading the bible. The second concept is worship. Worship is first learned and then through maturity you develop your own sense of worship. Worship is learned...
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...FORMULATION OF ACCOUNTING THEORY: PURPOSE AND APPROACHES A TERM PAPER (2) ON ADVANCED ACCOUNTING THEORY (ACC 821) PRESENTED BY EKERIA, Victor IKYUME, Chiahemba James OGBOLE, Philip Osemudiamen SUBMITTED TO PROFESSOR A.E. OKOYE DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMEN SUDIES IGBINEDION UNIVERSITY, OKADA MARCH, 2015 Abstract As tasks of accounting became more difficult and focus shifted to users’ needs, a theory became necessary. Existence of a need for information for decision making (decision usefulness) in face of information asymmetry led to development of means, tools and techniques for satisfying decision making needs (formulation of accounting theories) This paper briefly discusses the purpose/importance for accounting theory and various approaches to the formulation of an accounting theory under two headings, namely: (1) traditional approaches, and (2) new approaches. The paper finally highlights the critiques of the accounting theory approaches Table of Content 1.0.0. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… 1 2.0.0. Meaning of Accounting Theory………………………………………………………… 2 2.1.0. Needs and Purpose for Accounting Theory…………………………………………….. 3 3.0.0. Early Attempts at Accounting Theory……………………………………………………...3 4.0.0. Approaches to the for Formulation of Accounting Theory……………………………….5 4.1.0. 4.1.0. The Traditional Approaches………………………………………………………..5 4.1.1. Non – Theoretical, Practical, or Pragmatic (Informal) Approaches……...
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...Running head: WHAT IS THEORY? 1 In a world dominated by practical considerations, there is often a reluctance to dismiss theory. In fact, my experience is that people think that theory gets in the way of practice. However, as Kurt Lewin pointed out (as cited in Morgan, Images of Organization, 1997, p. 376) "there is nothing so practical as a good theory". Morgan (1997) posits that "in any sustained endeavor, we are guided by implicit root images that generate theories of what we are doing" (p. 377). This notion has implications at all levels of management within organizations. Similarly, Champoux (2006) defines theory as "a plausible explanation of a phenomenon" (p. 8). He further asserts that "people often describe theory as abstract, boring, and not associated with the real world" (p. 8). In a similar vain, Senge (1994) suggests that people see theory as having something to do with science; suggesting something cold, analytic, and impersonal. Senge vehemently rejects this notion. He counters, "nothing could be further from the truth. The process whereby scientists generate new theories is full of passion, imagination, and the excitement of seeing something new in the world" (p. 29). Theories have contributed mightily to the collective understanding and knowledge of our society today. These contributions have conspired to heighten our leadership and performance...
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...Attitude Theories Julia Keleher Strayer University Attitude Theories This paper will discuss attitude theories. Attitude theories are attempts to explain the factors that shape individuals’ beliefs feelings and behaviors. Two examples of attitude theories are ego defensive and classical conditioning. These theories are defined and their components are presented. Examples of each are given and the two theories are compared and contrasted. Definitions and Examples Ego defensive theory was first posited by ____ in XXXX. It has been met with broad support and is part of the psychoanalytic school of thought. This theory posits that attitudes are designed to protect individuals’ self esteem (Keleher, 2011). In many instances, attitudes result in the blaming of someone or something other than the self. One example of this theory is a situation of a child who adopts a strong negative feeling towards sports. This strong negative feeling is the result of having been humiliated in physical education class. In order to protect the child’s self esteem and deny the feelings of humiliation, the child avoids all sports. Engaging in sports is associated in the child’s mind with the potential for being humiliated. Classical conditioning theory was first posited by ____ in XXXX. It has been met with broad support and is part of the behaviorist school of thought. This theory posits that attitudes are a function of purposeful exposure to some external stimuli. An external stimuli is anything...
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...The Strain Theory Professor Jaske CRM 3407 15 February 2016 Thus, the Social Learning Theory appears to be the best theory to explain how people of different cultures and origins are able to co-exist in a ship since the theory gives credibility to the ability of people to live cordially as they learn a particular living environment or system. The Strain Theory does an excellent job of explaining white collar crime, along with the contextual anomie/ strain theory. While examining this theory, it was discovered as the most compelling in our constant battle with white collar and corporate crimes. Ever since the beginning of recorded history man/woman has tried to achieve a better life, but not much has changed in today’s standards, since it can be said it is more now than ever. From television, and radio we see the American dream of home ownership, the ability to fit into the society with the latest gadgets. At the same time trying to further their education has its roots in the American dream of more pay, a better job, and the ability to retire all these things is associated with the American dream of more money. While reading this theory I took a closer look into what fuels the human mind in our society. White collar crime in most cases, according to the Strain Theory and my own beliefs is what fuel the human desire to be successful. Greed has always and always will be a driving force in our society, I see no relief in sight unless we as a society find some way that...
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...objective way of analyzing data to such a subjective topic. This paper will examine theoretical approaches in studying personality, as well as factors that may influence an individual’s personality development. Theoretical Approaches in Studying Personality A theoretical approach on personality means that researchers use the scientific method to collect and analyze data. They use this process to answer questions that are formed by certain behaviors or that other theories have generated (Feist & Feist, 2009). The question is referred to as a hypothesis. The hypothesis must be tested in a way that can be accurately documented, as well as repeated by others. Once data is collected it must be analyzed and categorized, so that it makes sense in relation to the question, or idea, which is being tested. If the data proves the hypothesis, or idea, is true it does not become a theory. A scientific theory must be able to be reproduced by other researchers using the same method. A theory in psychology, such as personality theory, encompasses more than just verifiable scientific data. Because the...
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...Testing A Theory PSY/201 May 12, 2013 A couple of years ago, I decided to test a theory on myself by trying to lose fight while gaining more muscle mass. I have heard so many different theories on how to lose fat while gaining muscle mass, but I could not find a good routine that gave me the best results. Before I began my research, I had to think critical about what was causing me to gain fat, and why my workout routine was not as effective on myself as it was for others. I began to search for credible sources on the Internet, so that I can have a better understanding of the relationship between nutrition and the human body. Once my understanding on nutrition was clear, I then began to do research on fat burning and strength conditioning. After my research was complete, I began to test these theories on myself. I created a chart that kept track of each exercise, the amount of repetitions completed, weight loss or gain, and body fat percentage. I used this chart to compare my before and after results within 90 days, and the end results were stunning. I could lower my body fat percentage, and gain more muscle mass, which was exactly what I wanted. The type of informal research that was used to test this theory was experimental research. According to the textbook, Psychology and Your Life, it tells us about experimental research, which states, “Investigator produces a change in one variable to observe the effects of that change on other variables” (Ch. 1, pg. 33)...
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...Accessibility Theory Accessibility Theory is a model of attitude and behavior of relations. In the Accessibility Theory attitudes will predict behavior if they can be activated from memory at a time of decision. In order for this to transpire, the attitude must come spontaneously to mind in a memory. Second, the attitude must influence perceptions of an issue or person serving as a “filter” through which the object is viewed. (Fazio & Roskos –Ewoldsen, 1994 P. 85) Accessibility Theory complements the Reasoned Action Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior approach because people carefully consider the consequence of behaving in a particular manner and weigh out the pros and cons of situation. When all else fails the decision is based more on spontaneity, channeling a thought or memory. The decisions however can also be based on how accessible attitudes are and how likely objects, good or bad can capture the attention of a person. Research supports these propositions (Krays, 1995) because studies found that individuals who were in touch with favorable attitudes toward a certain topic or product were more inclined to select or choose those with less accessible attitudes. Attitudes play a very important role because they range from strong attitudes to weak attitudes. When a person has a strong attitude toward something most likely the persons mind is made up and set in his or her ways. Vice versa with a weaker attitude which is more susceptible to change....
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...Okoro’s keyhole theory of conflict assumes that “textual conflicts consist in series of locked doors and actions in the text comprises in attempts to unlock these doors”. Further, this theory of textual conflict recognizes the importance of what Aristotle has called the “depth burden of the past” however, it explains this concept in a slightly different way. The keyhole theory explains that the state of the key hole at the point of opening directly affects the state of the keyhole at the exit door. As explained by mr Fidelis himself, what we see as a comedy is just the manner of actions that sees to the opening of all the doors in a text, by contrast, a tragedy thrives because the hero meets difficulties and is ultimately unable to open the exit door both incidents are as a result of opening the first door with either the right or the wrong key. According to A.N. Akwanya, the theory is ‘a comprehensive statement which means that it must apply in the same way to a vast range of objects’. This can be further explained to mean that a theory must overlook he distinct properties of the individual object. This raises the question : can F.U Okoro’s keyhole theory of conflict qualify as a theory? Again, to what extent can it be able to apply in the same way to a vast range of literary text. A literary text here covers both prose narratives and plays. THE KEYHOLE THEORY AND DRAMA Now, without further ado, I will set about examining the extent of applicability of this theory by using it...
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...How would critical theorists assess research based on the Positive Accounting Theory? Accounting researchers tend to accept current accounting systems. Rather than focusing on why accounting systems favour certain classes of society, research is mainly carried out to such things as what accounting methods are most appropriate in certain circumstances, what motivates managers to use one accounting method over another and disclosure. By looking at accounting with a critical perspective is to recognise the way in which people are in control of capital. The Positive Accounting Theory (PAT) and Legitimacy Theory can be analysed critically for their bias approach of a political and economic perspective disregarding those people without wealth. A critical perspective of accounting is a perspective that critically evaluates the role of accounting in society. It does not consider issues such as what accounting methods should be used in which situations and often views accounting as a major contributor to perceived social problems and inequalities (Deegan, 2001). Critical theorists are those that ignore the whole world of accounting, favouring the interests of those people with wealth of power. However, they focus on the problems in and of society, not debate which methods of accounting should be employed. Accounting to Watts & Zimmerman (1990, page 7) Positive Accounting Theory is concerned with explaining accounting practice. It is designed to explain and predict which firms will...
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...Topic: Attribution theory. I chose this topic because it interests me a lot. I have always had many difficulties when giving feedback to my students, writing reports is the most difficult thing for me to do. I never find the appropriate words, I don´t know how to motivate my students and how to tell them to improve without hurting their feelings. In unit 2 we talked about different topics but this is the one that called my attention. I would like first to summarize what this theory is about. It is widely know that people perceive events in different ways, not only at school but in their everyday lives, when something bad happens to us we generally blame someone or something else for the outcomes but when we do something right or something good happens to us we usually say it is because we for example put a lot of effort in the task, because we are lucky and so on. But, to what do we attribute our failures and success? Many theorists state that we attribute them to four factors, effort, ability, luck and task difficulty. The former factors are said to be internal and the latter external. On the other hand we can categorize them according to stability, in that case effort and luck are unstable and ability and task difficulty are stable. But what does internal, external, stable and stable mean? Internal means from within a person, external the opposite. Stable means that we can control it and unstable means the opposite. For example, a student is sad because he failed in an...
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...Theories of Personality Arica Dekeyser Fanshawe College December 13, 2012 There are many different theories of personality by many different theorists. Although, they state the same idea, there is one theorist that I think has some crazy theories. For instance, Sigmund Freud stated how he feels that there are five stages of development, Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, and Genital. I do not agree with his theory on the anal stage because I think it is silly for a child to hold in their feces as a way to control their parents. I also think that holding in feces would not give the child anal pleasure as it would just be uncomfortable. He also stated how he thinks that at a young age girls have penis envy. I know that I can recall not wanting a penis, I was pleased with my lady parts! Freud also stated that children want to have sexual intercourse with the parent of the opposite gender??? Weird. I didn’t know what sex was until I was at least 12 years, maybe even older! I highly doubt I wanted to have sex with my father. My theory of life is that what happens to us at a young age has an effect on us for our entire life. Say, for example, you’re three years old and you watch your mother get dismembered in front of you. I think that would have a strong effect on your life. It would screw you up and you might even become a murderer yourself. I think that it also has the same effect on how you were brought up as well...
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...Business Theory The foundation of business theory has been, and always will be, a consistently evolving process for as long as the exchange process is around. Since the early stages of mercantilism, in the seventeenth century, business theories began to shape the daily operations of ventures. However, it should be clearly understood that a theory does not provide a definite solution to success. Instead, theories are merely “a set of assumptions, propositions, or accepted facts that attempts to provide a plausible or rational explanation of cause-and-effect relationship among a group of observed phenomenon.” These ‘acceptable facts’ will in turn shape a business’s goals to obtain success within their respective industry. Writer, and business theorist himself, Riad Ajami explains, “Theories of trade have evolved over time, beginning with the emergence of strong nation-states and the organization for systematic exchanges of goods among these nations”. (Ajami, 48) Throughout this document, six business environments (domestic, global, technological, political-legal, sociocultural, and economic) will be explored, in regards to how these environments affect the ongoing evolution of future business theories. Business theorists have changed the way people do business, not only from a domestic standpoint, but on a global level as well. The domestic and global environments are primarily based on demand conditions. ‘Conditions’ of a business theory can in turn be used in a business’s...
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