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Theory in OT

Terms in this set (63)

What is a theory?
"a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena"
-hypothetical and must be tested
-related set of concepts and principles
What is the purpose of a theory?
-Define a concept
-Describe
-Correlate
-Explain why
-Predict
-Evaluate
OT borrows other theories from ____
other disciplines such as psychology, medicine, nursing, and social work
Components of theory
concepts and principles
concept
symbolic representation of an actual thing (things we can see such as books, trees, cars, etc.)
construct
the word for concepts with no physical referent (satisfaction, learning, freedom
What enables a construct?
Language
principles
relationship between two or more concepts or constructs (example: books and computers can be related to learning)
What two important functions does a theory serve?
1. They help us to understand or explain what is going on around us.
2. They help us predict future events (Can be causal or correlational)
propositions
-Formal statements about cause and effect, or the nature of relationships among features in the world
-Are testable
-Testing can be direct or based on an accumulation of sources
-If/then statements help us to identify the presence and type of relationships among factors
assumptions
-Ideas we "believe to be true"
-The term assumption in science means is specific to ideas that cannot be definitively proven true or false
Turn this statement into a proposition.

Sensory defensiveness is a defining characteristic of children with autism.
If a child has autism, then he or she will display sensory defensiveness.
Our day to day practice as OTs is rooted in
assumptions and prepositions
Best practice requires us to distinguish between
prepositions and assumptions
The waters are muddy when it comes to propositions and assumptions for many people for reasons including
the distinction between "personal" and "academic" assumptions eg. 1. An individuals belief about how much we have control over our lives can be derived from cultural and life experience or academic education; 2. am I more inclined to choose a formal theory because it lines up with my personal assumption and not because it actually makes sense in the context of the client I am working with
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