COMM 300 - Criteria for Communication Theory

Course Instructor: Ron Wright
New Technologies Consultant: Mary Flores

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Overview of Communication Theory

Criteria For A Good Communication Theory

Scientific Criteria for a Good Theory

A. Explanatory power - do the propositions of the theory enable us to explain as much of the communication phenomenon as possible?

B. Predictive power - do the propositions of the theory enable us to forecast accurate future events and outcomes?

C. Parsimony - does the theory contain as few propositions as possible to explain the communication phenomenon; is it as simple as it can be?

D. Testability - can the propositions of the theory be tested, and therefore falsified or proven wrong?

E. Internal consistency - the propositions that comprise the theory should not contradict each other.

F. Heuristic potential - the propositions that comprise the theory should suggest further hypotheses to be tested through research.

Aesthetic Criteria For A Good Theory

A. New understanding - does the theory provide us with new and fresh insights into the nature of the human condition?

B. Societal value - does the theory help us to improve the human condition in some substantive way? does it stimulate or generate change?

C. Aesthetic appeal - does the theory capture our interest and imagination? does it picque our curiosity about the phenomenon being explained?

D. Community agreement - is the theory accepted and supported by like-minded scholars?

http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~comm300/mary/general/criteria.html