A theoretical model is a conceptual framework created to explain, predict, and understand phenomena and events in the real world. It is a tool used to explain, describe, and predict the behavior of a system. Developing a theoretical model can be a complex endeavor, as it requires an understanding of the underlying principles, assumptions, and relationships that govern the system under study. However, once developed, a theoretical model can be used to explore how the system works, to understand causal relationships, and to help identify future opportunities. Additionally, a well-developed theoretical model can serve as a platform to inform decisions and inform policy making. As such, many disciplines, including business, economics, social sciences, and engineering all utilize theoretical models to better understand the systems they study. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of theoretical models, how they are created, and the various applications that they have in the real world.
Why is building a theoretical model important?
Here are some main arguments in favor of developing a theoretical model:
What is a theoretical model?
A theoretical model is a structure that researchers develop to organize their research process and determine how to approach a particular research question. It can help you specify your research’s goal and form an informed opinion. Typically, developing a theoretical model entails reviewing the literature on a subject, including earlier research studies and journal articles. In the introduction of a dissertation or other similar document, researchers frequently provide a written description of a theoretical model so the reader can better understand it.
Here are some key terms to learn for theoretical models:
Who uses a theoretical model?
Consider the following examples of professionals who use theoretical models:
Social scientists
To investigate a variety of phenomena that people are currently experiencing or have previously encountered, social scientists can use theoretical models. Their theories can offer crucial contexts for human behavior in various circumstances, such as what elements they might consider when making decisions or how they adapt to a changing cultural environment. Politicians pass laws and implement policies based on research findings from theories that have been put to the test, which can have an impact on many American communities’ day-to-day existence.
Educational specialists
To create the best practices for lesson plans, educational specialists can use a theoretical model to research the habits of students in institutions. They frequently design research projects to update old learning theories for teachers to use in contemporary classrooms. A theoretical model can assist these professionals in identifying areas for improvement and considering alternative hypotheses to address them as the priorities and requirements of educational institutions can change over time.
Marketing researchers
Researchers in marketing can develop hypotheses about which advertising tactics to employ after studying the demographics and preferences of a customer base using a theoretical model. They frequently frame their research procedures using earlier marketing theories, making them more precise and effective. Additionally, it can assist marketers in better integrating statistical research into their analysis because a theoretical modeling process may offer some useful guidelines for contextualizing numerical data.
Nonprofit employees
To create grant proposals, which are formal requests to an individual or group to receive funding for a project, nonprofit employees can use a theoretical model. To explain a project’s purpose, intentions, and overall goals to a potential stakeholder, they might use a model. Additionally, it can help nonprofit workers explain how a project might result in a particular social change. Applying a theoretical model, for instance, can demonstrate how an organization plans to achieve its goal of increasing a community’s access to a resource.
University students
All levels of university students frequently use theoretical frameworks when writing academic assignments, particularly dissertations Undergraduate students are taught by professors how to create strong theoretical models so they can learn critical research techniques and how to form informed opinions about a theory. Students pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees may use a theoretical framework to frame their own theory-creation process, which can position them as authorities in their field.
How to build a theoretical model
Here are the key steps for building a theoretical model
1. Develop a research inquiry
Create a research question to give your theoretical model a focus. Prior to choosing a specific area of interest to study, choose a general topic that interests you. Consider formulating your query as a brief, clear statement that you can refer to at any time during the process. Make sure your research question has several possible answers so you can examine them all and formulate your own opinion.
Here are some examples of research inquiries:
2. Determine your variables
To better understand the key components of your research inquiry, use your research question to choose variables for your theoretical model. Establish an independent variable first, which is a feature that remains constant throughout a research process. Select a corresponding dependent variable, which denotes a factor that the independent variable affects, after that. Consider a marketing group developing a theoretical model to answer the question, “What factors increase shoe sales during the spring?” Their independent variable would be the spring season, which affects the quantity of shoes a company sells.
3. Conduct research on your topic
Search for relevant literature that discusses your research inquiry. If you’re developing a theoretical model for a university project, you can use class materials like a textbook or lecture notes, an online database, or resources found in a library. Next, compare how various authors approach your variables, and find illustrations of additional theoretical models that support your viewpoint. Alternative viewpoints can be added as well to provide more room for nuance in your work.
4. Write a literature review
Write a literature review, which is a thorough summary of your research with the goal of establishing a useful context for your research inquiry. It aids in the development of your theoretical model by assisting in the identification and linking of key concepts in the sources you gathered, which can help you create a strong hypothesis. Consider determining areas of previous literature that could use improvement that you can strengthen using your research procedure. For instance, a writer may have used a particular point of view in their work that you intend to clarify or challenge in your further research.
Here are the components of a literature review:
5. Develop a research approach
Draw up a strategy for tackling your research topic based on the data you analyzed in a literature review. You can use this section to explain your reasoning and provide relevant sources if you intend to challenge a widely held theory. For instance, you might look into how a new context affects the analytical presumptions of a prior research study or combine various concepts to create an entirely new theory.
6. Create your theoretical model
Build your theoretical framework around the specifications of a bigger project, like a market analysis study. You can include a theoretical model in a literature review or create an entirely new section, depending on the difficulty of your project and your preferences. To increase accessibility, you can also include a visual representation of your model. For instance, a flowchart can use boxes, lines, and arrows to depict connections between ideas.
How to use a theoretical model
Here are a few strategies for including a theoretical model in your research project:
1. Construct a hypothesis
You can find the background information needed to respond to the question posed in your research inquiry by using a theoretical model. To determine how previous researchers established a relationship between independent and dependent variables, take into consideration reviewing your model. Then, decide on a well-informed prediction you can assess during the course of a research study. If you want to formulate a strong hypothesis, think about putting your variables in a single, concise sentence.
2. Plan a research study
Utilize your theoretical framework to guide the steps in your research process. First, decide which research techniques best support the goals of your study. Then, think about utilizing this data to establish the size and scope of your study so that you can collect the best possible sets of data. Additionally, you can use a theoretical model to decide which groups you might want to include and whether you need participants to represent the variables.
Think, for instance, of a study that looked at students who successfully completed a significant standardized test. A theoretical model could display prior research on various elements that affect a student’s ability to pass the test. The model can be used by the researchers to select the factors to concentrate on, the group of students to observe, and the interview technique to use for data collection.
3. Analyze your data
Determine how your data addresses your hypothesis in light of the ideas you covered in a theoretical model after you have coded it. After that, you can use it to select an analysis technique. For instance, you might discover that the data supports a definition you included in your model. You can also use a system of reasoning that you came up with by combining different concepts to analyze your data.
Develop a Theoretical Framework in 3 Steps | Scribbr
FAQ
What is the purpose of a theoretical model?
It enables you to mentally switch from merely describing a phenomenon you have seen to making generalizations about different features of that phenomenon. Having a theory makes it easier to recognize the boundaries of those generalizations.
What are three theoretical models?
Three theoretical models served as the foundation for the questionnaires that were used: the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), and the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).
How do you make a theoretical model?
A theoretical framework identifies the key variables that affect an interesting phenomenon and emphasizes the need to investigate how and when those key variables might change.
What is a theoretical model or framework?
A theoretical framework identifies the key variables that affect an interesting phenomenon and emphasizes the need to investigate how and when those key variables might change.
