Group Communication Theory
What is a Theory?
Learning Objectives
- Define "theory".
- Identify the functions of theories.
- Evaluate the practicality of using theories.
"There is nothing so practical as a good theory".
Kurt Lewin
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away".
Philip K. Dick
"Can I make it through that intersection before the light turns red?" "Will I have enough money left at the end of the month to take my honey out to dinner at a nice restaurant?" "Can I trust my office mate to keep a secret?" Every day we apply conceptions of how the world works to make decisions and answer questions like these.
Many of these conceptions are based on our own past experiences, what other people have told us, what we've read or viewed on line, and so on. Sometimes the conceptions are clearly present in our minds as we act; other times they lie beneath our awareness. In reality, the conceptions may represent a hodge-podge of fact, fiction, hunches, conjectures, wishes, and assumptions. And they may change over time for reasons we may or may not even be able to identify.
We may informally refer to these kinds of conceptions as "theories". For instance, we might say, "He made a big mistake when he did that. My theory is that he was under a lot of stress because of getting laid off from his job". In studying communication, however, we make use of a more refined definition of the term "theory" which is anything but a hodge-podge.