The benefits of abstract functional analysis in theory construction: the case of interdependence theory

Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc
John G Holmes

Abstract

In this article I argue for the benefits of an abstract functional analysis in theory construction, suggesting that an understanding of the nature of situations of interdependence will provide theoretical insights into basic processes in interpersonal relations. That is, mechanisms and basic processes such as social cognition are best understood by describing their functional relation to the social problems with which they were designed to cope, rather than studying them in their own right in isolation from the purpose they serve. I discuss the tenets of ecological psychology, the scientific philosophy underpinning this way of thought. I then link this approach to the development of my own theoretical ideas on trust in close relationships, providing a description of how a functional analysis rooted in the assumptions of interdependence theory shaped the questions I posed and the answers to which I was drawn.

References

Nov 1, 1990·Psychological Bulletin·Z Kunda
Nov 26, 1999·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·J WieselquistC R Agnew
Apr 1, 2000·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·S L MurrayD W Griffin
Jul 28, 2001·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·J K RempelJ G Holmes
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Jan 1, 1959·Journal of Abnormal Psychology·E J MURRAY, M COHEN
Jan 1, 1997·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·H H Kelley

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Citations

Sep 25, 2008·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·Harry T Reis
Jun 3, 2017·Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc·Ximena B ArriagaNickola C Overall
Jul 26, 2018·Psychological Medicine·Victoria BellSukhi Shergill
Apr 29, 2021·Human Factors·Erin K Chiou, John D Lee

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Personality and Social Psychology Review : an Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc
H H Kelley
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