Concept of theory, empiricism, deductive and inductive theory

1. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Course Title: BDC326 Research Methodology
UNIT 1B
Program:B. Design, Semester:VI
Batch: 2020-24
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain

2. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
Unit 1
INTRODUCTION
B
Concept of theory, empiricism, deductive and
inductive theory
Course Title: Research Methodology

3. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
Theory: Meaning
Dictionary Meaning of Theory
• a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something,
especially one based on general principles independent of the
thing to be explained.
"Darwin's theory of evolution"
• a set of principles on which the practice of an activity is based.
"a theory of education"
Course Title: Research Methodology

4. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
Britannica Dictionary definition of THEORY
1 : an idea or set of ideas that is intended to explain facts or events
[count]
a widely accepted scientific theory
Einstein's theory of relativity
theories on/about evolution
[noncount]
according to atomic/economic theory
2 [count] : an idea that is suggested or presented as possibly true but that is
not known or proven to be true
Her method is based on the theory that all children want to learn.
There are a number of different theories about the cause of the disease.
She proposed a theory of her own.
Investigators rejected the theory that the death was accidental.
There is no evidence to support such a theory.
Course Title: Research Methodology

5. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
Britannica Dictionary definition of THEORY
3 [noncount] : the general principles or ideas that relate to a
particular subject
He is a specialist in film theory and criticism.
music theory
in theory
1 — used to say what should happen or be true if a theory is correct
• In theory, the reading skills of the students should improve.
2 — used to say that something seems to be true or possible as an
idea but may not actually be true or possible
• I agree with you in theory, but realistically I don't think we have the
time to do that.
• Her plan sounds good in theory, but I doubt it will really work.
Course Title: Research Methodology

6. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
What is a simple definition of theory?
A theory is a carefully thought-out explanation for
observations of the natural world that has been
constructed using the scientific method, and which
brings together many facts and hypotheses.
Course Title: Research Methodology

7. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
What is the difference between Theory and
Practical?
Course Title: Research Methodology

8. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
What is the difference between Theory and
Practical?
• Theoretical learning is what the knowledge is about and the
practical application is how the knowledge learnt needs to be
implemented in certain real life situations. The mode of practical
application along with theory gives everyone a clear explanation
about the facts.
Course Title: Research Methodology

9. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
Assignment
What is the difference between knowledge, Theory
& Practical?
Course Title: Research Methodology

10. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
empiricism : Meaning
Dictionary Meaning of empiricism
• the theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from
the senses.
Stimulated by the rise of experimental science, it developed in the
17th and 18th centuries, expounded in particular by John Locke,
George Berkeley, and David Hume.
Course Title: Research Methodology

11. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
What is empiricism?
Empiricism is a philosophical theory applicable in many disciplines,
including science and software development, that
human knowledge comes predominantly from experiences gathered
through the five senses.
In empiricism, knowledge is spoken of as a posteriori, or "from the
latter," meaning gained from experience. Simply put, empiricism is
the idea that all learning comes from only experience and
observations.
Course Title: Research Methodology

12. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain
What is empirical theory in research?
Empirical research is research that is based on observation and
measurement of phenomena, as directly experienced by the
researcher. The data thus gathered may be compared against a
theory or hypothesis, but the results are still based on real life
experience.
Course Title: Research Methodology

13. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology
What is an example of empirical?
It involves the use of observation to gather empirical data.
For example: 1.Consumers tend to consult first their
smartphones before buying something in-store.
Inductive reasoning is then conducted to frame a general
conclusion from the data gathered through observation.
2. Pharmaceutical companies use empirical research to try
out a specific drug on controlled groups or random groups
to study the effect and cause. This way they prove certain
theories they had proposed for the specific drug.

14. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology
Deductive and Inductive theory
The main difference between inductive and deductive
reasoning is that inductive reasoning aims at developing a
theory while deductive reasoning aims at testing an
existing theory.
In other words, Inductive reasoning moves from specific
observations to broad generalizations.
Deductive reasoning works the other way around.
Both approaches are used in various types of research,
and it’s not uncommon to combine them in your work.

15. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology

16. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology
Inductive research approach
When there is little to no existing literature on a topic, it is common
to perform inductive research, because there is no theory to test.
The inductive approach consists of three stages:
Observation
A low-cost airline flight is delayed
Dogs A and B have fleas
Elephants depend on water to exist
Seeking patterns
Another 20 flights from low-cost airlines are delayed
All observed dogs have fleas
All observed animals depend on water to exist

17. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology
Developing a theory or general (preliminary) conclusion
Low cost airlines always have delays
All dogs have fleas
All biological life depends on water to exist
Limitations of an inductive approach
A conclusion drawn on the basis of an inductive method can
never be fully proven. However, it can be invalidated.
Example You observe 1000 flights from low-cost airlines. All of
them experience a delay, which is in line with your theory.
However, you can never prove that flight 1001 will also be
delayed. Still, the larger your dataset, the more reliable your
conclusions.

18. Deductive research approach
When conducting deductive research, you always start with a theory. This is usually
the result of inductive research. Reasoning deductively means testing these theories.
Remember that if there is no theory yet, you cannot conduct deductive research.
The deductive research approach consists of four stages:
Start with an existing theory and create a problem statement
Low cost airlines always have delays
All dogs have fleas
All biological life depends on water to exist
Formulate a falsifiable hypothesis, based on existing theory
If passengers fly with a low cost airline, then they will always experience delays
All pet dogs in my apartment building have fleas
All land mammals depend on water to exist
SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology

19. Collect data to test the hypothesis
Collect flight data of low-cost airlines
Test all dogs in the building for fleas
Study all land mammal species to see if they depend on water
Analyze and test the data
5 out of 100 flights of low-cost airlines are not delayed
10 out of 20 dogs didn’t have fleas
All land mammal species depend on water
Decide whether you can reject the null hypothesis
5 out of 100 flights of low-cost airlines are not delayed = reject
hypothesis
10 out of 20 dogs didn’t have fleas = reject hypothesis
All land mammal species depend on water = support
hypothesis
SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology

20. Limitations of a deductive approach
The conclusions of deductive reasoning can only be true if all
the premises set in the inductive study are true and the terms
are clear.
Example
All dogs have fleas (premise)
Benno is a dog (premise)
Benno has fleas (conclusion)
Based on the premises we have, the conclusion must be true.
However, if the first premise turns out to be false, the conclusion
that Benno has fleas cannot be relied upon.
SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology

21. Combining inductive and deductive research
Many scientists conducting a larger research project begin with
an inductive study. This helps them develop a relevant research
topic and construct a strong working theory. The inductive study
is followed up with deductive research to confirm or invalidate
the conclusion. This can help you formulate a more structured
project, and better mitigate the risk of research bias creeping
into your work.
Remember that both inductive and deductive approaches are at
risk for research biases, particularly confirmation
bias and cognitive bias, so it’s important to be aware while you
conduct your research.
SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology

22. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology

23. SHARDA SCHOOL OF DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
Faculty
Prof. (Ar.) Pramod Kumar Jain Course Title: Research Methodology
Assignment:What is inductive & deductive Theory