De onvolledigheid van algemene hypothesen: een pleidooi voor verklarende modellen

Samenvatting

The empirical & theoretical sciences make considerable use of general hypotheses, subject to continuous verification, testing, & refinement. Currently, testing methods have become so rigorous that many hypotheses are being rejected prematurely. Social science hypotheses cannot always be verified in the same way as those of the natural sciences, as the former are characterized by greater uncertainty. Suggestions are presented for models of the deductive reasoning used in sociological hypothesis verification. Special attention is given to the historical transformation of ideas on the construction & refinement of such hypotheses. 25 References. M. Meeks.