What is a target system?

Elliott-Graves, Alkistis

doi:10.1007/s10539-020-09745-3

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Theories aim to explain phenomena by representing the components of the real world that give rise to the phenomena of interest. We refer to these components of the real world and the relationships among them as the target system (Elliott-Graves, 2014). We refer to the components of the theory and the relationships among those components as the theory’s structure .…”

Section: The Nature and Value Of Formal Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invisible Hands and Fine Calipers: A Call to Use Formal Theory as a Toolkit for Theory Construction

Robinaugh

Haslbeck

Ryan

et al. 2021

Perspect Psychol Sci

171

166

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In recent years, a growing chorus of researchers has argued that psychological theory is in a state of crisis: Theories are rarely developed in a way that indicates an accumulation of knowledge. Paul Meehl raised this very concern more than 40 years ago. Yet in the ensuing decades, little has improved. We aim to chart a better path forward for psychological theory by revisiting Meehl’s criticisms, his proposed solution, and the reasons his solution failed to meaningfully change the status of psychological theory. We argue that Meehl identified serious shortcomings in our evaluation of psychological theories and that his proposed solution would substantially strengthen theory testing. However, we also argue that Meehl failed to provide researchers with the tools necessary to construct the kinds of rigorous theories his approach required. To advance psychological theory, we must equip researchers with tools that allow them to better generate, evaluate, and develop their theories. We argue that formal theories provide this much-needed set of tools, equipping researchers with tools for thinking, evaluating explanation, enhancing measurement, informing theory development, and promoting the collaborative construction of psychological theories.

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Section: The Nature and Value Of Formal Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invisible Hands and Fine Calipers: A Call to Use Formal Theory as a Toolkit for Theory Construction

Robinaugh

Haslbeck

Ryan

et al. 2021

Perspect Psychol Sci

171

166

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“…Theories aim to explain phenomena by representing target systems : the particular parts of the real world and the relationships among them that give rise to the phenomena of interest (cf. Elliott-Graves, 2014). Theories can thus be understood as models that represent the target system (Suárez & Pero, 2019).…”

Section: Data Models and Formal Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling psychopathology: From data models to formal theories.

Haslbeck¹,

Ryan²,

Robinaugh³

et al. 2021

Psychological Methods

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Over the past decade, there has been a surge of empirical research investigating mental disorders as complex systems. In this article, we investigate how to best make use of this growing body of empirical research and move the field toward its fundamental aims of explaining, predicting, and controlling psychopathology. We first review the contemporary philosophy of science literature on scientific theories and argue that fully achieving the aims of explanation, prediction, and control requires that we construct formal theories of mental disorders: theories expressed in the language of mathematics or a computational programming language. We then investigate three routes by which one can use empirical findings (i.e., data models) to construct formal theories: (a) using data models themselves as formal theories, (b) using data models to infer formal theories, and (c) comparing empirical data models to theory-implied data models in order to evaluate and refine an existing formal theory. We argue that the third approach is the most promising path forward. We conclude by introducing the abductive formal theory construction (AFTC) framework, informed by both our review of philosophy of science and our methodological investigation. We argue that this approach provides a clear and promising way forward for using empirical research to inform the generation, development, and testing of formal theories both in the domain of psychopathology and in the broader field of psychological science.

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“…8 The variety of purposes models can serve is an extensive and implicit discussion throughout much of the philosophical literature on scientific modeling. For work that takes up the topic of modeling purposes more explicitly, see for instance Giere 2006, Parker 2010& 2020, and Jacquart 2016 I introduce similarity and adequacy understandings as two possible tools to draw upon in this discussion.…”

Section: Model-focused Interpretation Of the λCdm-mond Debatementioning

confidence: 99%

ΛCDM and MOND: A debate about models or theory?

Jacquart

2021

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A

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The debate between ΛCDM and MOND is often cast in terms of competing gravitational theories. However, recent philosophical discussion suggests that the ΛCDM-MOND debate demonstrates the challenges of multiscale modeling in the context of cosmological scales. I extend this discussion and explore what happens when the debate is thought to be about modeling rather than about theory, offering a model-focused interpretation of the ΛCDM-MOND debate. This analysis shows how a model-focused interpretation of the debate provides a better understanding of challenges associated with extension to a different scale or domain, which are tied to commitments about explanatory fit.

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What is a target system?

Cited by 16 publications

References 34 publications

Invisible Hands and Fine Calipers: A Call to Use Formal Theory as a Toolkit for Theory Construction

Invisible Hands and Fine Calipers: A Call to Use Formal Theory as a Toolkit for Theory Construction

Modeling psychopathology: From data models to formal theories.

ΛCDM and MOND: A debate about models or theory?

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