A primary purpose of a theory is to guide research. It enables the organization of ideas to allow a researcher to link the abstract and the concrete concepts. A theory allows researchers to structure their study and make sense of the data collected. Researchers can either use a deductive or inductive theory to guide their study. A deductive theory is used in deductive research where the study is deduced from the theory ( Soiferman, 2010). The deductive theory guides how the study is conducted and also the interpretation of results. An inductive theory, on the other hand, is developed during the study as the researchers collect and analyze research data. The qualitative research approach is primarily associated with the inductive theory ( Soiferman, 2010). An example of a theory in research is the evolutionary psychology theory .
The evolutionary psychology theory has several fundamental theoretical tenets. First, the theory postulates that natural selection has designed the human brain into a computer ( Tooby, & Cosmides, 2005). The mind can translate the environment and extract information. This tenet recognizes the cognitive ability of the brain. Secondly, the theory proposes that cognitive processes influence human behavior. Understanding cognitive processes is, therefore, fundamental to explaining human behavior. Thirdly, the theory suggests that these cognitive processes are adaptations. The programs modified the behavior of our ancestors to enable them to survive ( Tooby, & Cosmides, 2005). The programs became adaptations that were then passed to the offspring. However, the theory suggests that these programs were adaptive in the ancestral setting but not in the modern social setup (Tooby, & Cosmides, 2005). Lastly, through natural selection, the brain comprises of different cognitive processes. The processes developed as the ancestors interacted with the environment. Each process contributed differently to the survival and reproduction of the ancestors.
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To accept and use this theory, an individual must believe in adaptationism. This is the view that most physical and psychological characteristics of individuals developed as a result of natural selection and adaptation ( Sznycer, Cosmides, & Tooby, 2017). The view holds that the environment can modify a trait in an individual. The modified feature ensures survival and reproduction, which allows transmission of the quality to offspring. The characteristics are passed genetically. This philosophical orientation acknowledges the existence of the physical world. It also recognizes that this physical world influences trait development in humans. This is the ontological assumption of the theory. Also, the world-view has an epistemological perspective in that it aims to explain the origin and nature of human traits. The interaction of humans with the environment is perceived to have triggered the adaptation process.
References
Soiferman, L. K. (2010). Compare and Contrast Inductive and Deductive Research Approaches. Online Submission.
Sznycer, D., Cosmides, L., & Tooby, J. (2017). Adaptationism carves emotions at their functional joints. Psychological Inquiry, 28(1), 56-62.
Tooby, J., & Cosmides, L. (2005). Evolutionary psychology: Conceptual foundations. Evolutionary psychology handbook. New York: Wiley.
