Subjective theory

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Analogous to objective (scientific) theories, the term subjective theory describes a concept with which a situation can be grasped and described. If objective (scientific) theories arise through systematic research and deliver results that have been designed and tested under professional standards, subjective theories arise in contrast to this "through personal experience and through knowledge built up in practical instruction".

An if-then relationship can be established as a commonality between subjective and objective theories . Accordingly, both theoretical concepts allow hypotheses to be drawn up that can "prove themselves" in reality. However, unlike scientific theories , subjective theories are individual; H. specifically that "they are only 'in the head' of their wearer as subjective knowledge". From this it can be deduced that they are deeply anchored in the psyche of the subject, from which it can be concluded that they are part of a living system and therefore can be forgotten, but also changed in an uncontrolled manner.

From this the following can be concluded: We develop subjective theories in the course of our life biography. They are part of our subjective world knowledge and manifest themselves unconsciously and uncontrollably. They have a great influence on the action orientation of the active subject and are difficult to break open. They serve an individual to explain areas of his experience, but are not intersubjectively shared.

Since subjective theories are extremely important for explaining human behavior (especially where the behavior contradicts expressed ideas), certain research methods try to make them visible in the context of qualitative-empirical research processes. The term subjective theories has similarities to the concepts of interpretation patterns and mental models.

In principle, subjective theories can deal with anything from astronomy to mineralogy, to art and sociology, so that the field of application of this research concept is very large and diversified. Areas of application range from organizational, disease or health research, to advanced training, to foreign language philology, to economics, art studies, gender studies, etc. Most often, however, research into subjective theories is devoted to phenomena that affect everyday life Respondents. In psychology, for example, qualitative research deals with this. The result is: various empirical studies on subjective theories from a wide variety of practical fields, such as school, adult education, work or counseling, which deal with a wide range of topics (health, illness, organizational development, argumentation, etc.) and groups of people (teachers, Students, adult educators, etc.) Furthermore, some studies make it clear that teachers come to develop professional action strategies on their own due to their subjective theory and thus their subjective theories do not have to be genuinely retrograde compared to the scientifically objective theories.

literature

  • A. Epp: From school to vocational training. Social constructions by teachers about unfavorable factors in the educational biography of students. Leverkusen u. a. 2017, ISBN 978-3-8474-2128-3 .
  • K. Beck, A. Krapp: Philosophical basic questions of educational psychology. In: A. Krapp, B. Weidenmann (Ed.): Pedagogical Psychology. Weinheim et al. 2006, ISBN 3-621-27564-9 , pp. 33-72.
  • N. Groeben, B. Scheele: Fundamental Problems of a Research Program “Subjective Theories”: On the State of the Discussion. In: HD Dann ua ​​(Ed.): Analysis and modification of subjective theories of teachers. Konstanz 1982, DNB 820600490 , pp. 9-12.
  • N. Groeben, D. Wahl, J. Schlee, B. Scheele: Research Program Subjective Theories. An Introduction to the Psychology of the Reflexive Subject. Tübingen 1988, ISBN 3-7720-1821-1 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c K. Beck, A. Krapp: Scientific theoretical basic questions of educational psychology. In: A. Krapp, B. Weidenmann (Ed.): Pedagogical Psychology. Weinheim et al. 2006, pp. 33-72.
  2. ↑ Eckhard König : Qualitative research in the field of subjective theories , in König / Zedler Qualitative Research , 2nd edition, page 55, Beltz-Verlag 2002
  3. ↑ R. Neppl: Bibliographies on Psychology. No. 94. Subjective theories. A special bibliography of German-language literature. Trier: University of Trier.
  4. ^ A. Epp: From school to vocational training. Social constructions by teachers about unfavorable factors in the educational biography of students . Leverkusen: Barbara Budrich

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