Theoretical Synthesis Research Articles

Theoretical synthesis and philosophical foundations of science

Aim to consider the problem of theoretical synthesis as a method for creating a new theory.
 Conclusion. Theoretical synthesis serves as a subject of philosophical analysis. The synthesis of two theories is explicated by an example of the conflict between early Darwinism and Morgan Weisman genetics, culminating in the formation of synthetic theory of evolution. Prerequisites and conditions of synthesis of the competing theories are revealed.

Beyond compassion fatigue, compassion as a virtue.

One of the great problems of caregivers and health professionals in recent times has been the so-called compassion fatigue and its association with burnout syndrome. Another pole of compassion has been described in terms of compassion satisfaction. Both propositions could be problematic in the caregiving setting. This is an analytical reflective article that through an apparent aporia tries to problematize and propose a theoretical synthesis that allows to denote compassion as a virtue in Aristotelian terms. To this end, it resorts to etymologies, translations and mainly to the classical theoretical references regarding compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction and, of course, Aristotelian ethics. This is a theoretical bet that leaves open the discussion regarding the dichotomies compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction; apathy and hyperpathy; and proposes to rethink compassion as a virtue, a reasoned middle ground, contextualized in the framework of care between two possible excesses.

3 Defining loneliness for older adults: a multi-study synthesis

Abstract Background Loneliness is an unpleasant experience linked to multiple adverse health outcomes, but we lack effective interventions to reduce or prevent it. Most interventions are based on a social psychological definition of loneliness (“a perceived discrepancy between actual and desired social relationships, but such interventions are typically unsuccessful. A recent umbrella review of loneliness interventions suggests that they should target specific population subgroups to be effective. This means that we may need more specific definitions of loneliness. In this presentation, I will integrate data from across studies to present an integrated definition of loneliness for older adults. Methods Across two qualitative grounded theory studies, we interviewed two samples of adults aged 60 and over: one living rurally and identifying as socially isolated; the other spousal dementia caregivers whose spouse recently moved to long term care. Data from these studies were integrated and framed in the context of a theoretical synthesis of loneliness we published and recently updated. Results Loneliness was defined in multiple ways, arising from boredom or inactivity, vulnerability, passivity, giving way to predictable behavioural patterns such as distracting tasks, and affective responses such as self-pity. We integrated this with our theoretical synthesis, which frames loneliness as arising from factors on proximate levels (loss of intimate partners, parental relationships, life transitions), as well as more distal influences such as the social network, and culture). Conclusion We argue for cohort-specific definitions of loneliness since these are likeliest to lead to effective interventions. We offer some possible definitions and aspects of loneliness to focus upon in interventions for older adults.

Developmental Trajectory of Teachers: A Theoretical Synthesis and Application to Counselor Education

Teaching is an important component of counselor education. However, there is a lack of literature exploring the developmental progress of counselor educators as teachers. In the following article, we review the research on doctoral-level teaching preparation in counselor education, present a synthesized model of teacher development informed from thirteen historic teacher developmental models, discuss our model in the context of counselor education, and provide limitations and recommendations for future research. Through this manuscript, counselor educators will learn the developmental trajectory of doctoral students and counselor educators. This will lead to a better understanding of the ways we facilitate and strengthen counselor educators development as teachers.

Toward a typology of entrepreneurial bricolage and its capabilities

Purpose The extant literature emphasizes that the perspective of bricolage is significantly augmenting the core of entrepreneurship research, and, per se, it has made considerable contributions to understanding resource mobilization and organizational processes in entrepreneurial ventures. Entrepreneurial bricolage literature lacks a unified and holistic conceptual framework that could represent a coherence of diverse bricolage forms and their related capabilities in entrepreneurship. To address this issue, this study aims to develop a comprehensive typology framework of entrepreneurial bricolage based on the theoretical synthesis of the prior research. Design/methodology/approach By comparing and synthesizing the existing bricolage forms into a holistic and persistent typology, the authors present an integrated framework of 13 bricolage capabilities that contributes to resource acquisition and resource mobilization as well as facilitate the entrepreneurial processes of opportunity recognition and opportunity exploitation in firms. Findings The study synthesizes a wide array of research on entrepreneurial bricolage for shaping the resource acquisition and resource mobilization processes in entrepreneurial ventures and presents a typology-based framework for further discussion and research. By mapping the existing research and relevant dimensions into a typology-based entrepreneurial bricolage framework, the study extends and contributes to the current theorizing and conceptual building. Research limitations/implications The study would help practitioners and researchers to recognize bricolage capabilities and the common ties among them, leading to further advances in entrepreneurship theory and practice. Originality/value As the body of knowledge regarding entrepreneurial bricolage has grown, so has the number of its different forms, concepts and constructs. The authors recognize that there is distinctiveness as well as overlaps among diverse forms, concepts and constructs of entrepreneurial bricolage. Further, the authors identify a new bricolage capability that has not until now been positioned in the extant frameworks.

Stakeholder Governance: Interdisciplinary Review, Theoretical Synthesis, and Future Research

Stakeholder Governance: Interdisciplinary Review, Theoretical Synthesis, and Future Research

Neoclassical Realism: Methodological Critiques and Remedies

Abstract The debate on how neoclassical realism (NCR) has fared as a new brand of realism and supposedly a more rigorous approach towards foreign policy has become increasingly acerbic. Most NCR critics have challenged NCR’s epistemological positions, and few have scrutinised NCR’s methodological practice. This essay seeks to fill the void and focuses on the latter. My aim is both critical and constructive. Because NCR’s mainstay method is comparative case studies (CCSs), I first examine how NCR has practiced this method. I argue that NCR has been saddled with several key shortcomings when doing CCSs. Drawing from the extensive new qualitative methodology literature, I propose several remedies corresponding to the shortcomings. Fixing these shortcomings will allow NCR to advance more valid theories and move towards better theoretical synthesis. I then highlight qualitative comparative analysis as a very useful tool for NCR. Finally, I address a common criticism against NCR, that is, with numerous variables, NCR lacks theoretical synthesis and hence a theoretical core. I accordingly advance a preliminary framework for possible theoretical synthesis.

The forensic´s scientist craft: towards an integrative theory. Part 1: microapproach

ABSTRACT Defining the nature of forensic science and criminalistics is a topic that has been vigorously revisited in international literature. At the core of this discussion is the demarcation of principles that would characterize forensic science as an autonomous science, with its methods. The concept of theoretical synthesis as elaborated by Walker and Avant (2011) was adopted. In this theoretical model, concepts and principles are organized in a coherent and integrated way. In this first paper, the theory synthesis was elaborated from basic concepts and practices related to the work of the forensic scientist. Basically, the procedures for searching and collecting traces and the analytical methods of identification and individualization of traces. The theory synthesis was mainly developed based on: a) the reasoning method adopted in cognitive operations by forensic scientists; b) the way of obtaining information and interpreting phenomena from observation of facts and traces; c) how forensic scientists perform their investigations, analysis or synthesis from evidence and its main practical limitations. In short, the proposed theory synthesis reinforces the idea that forensic science is a specific science, capable not only of applying technologies and using scientific methods but also of producing knowledge inherent to its performance and scope.

Application of Internet Marketing Technologies in Marketing Activity of Enterprise

The purpose of the article is to determine the features of theoretical and practical research on the use of Internet marketing technologies and the improvement of marketing activities of modern domestic enterprises. Research methodology. During the study, the method of theoretical synthesis, generalization, structural analysis, observation and generalization, formalization was used. The article analyzes the role of Internet technologies in the commercial and marketing activities of a modern enterprise. The components of Internet technologies are defined. The necessity of application of such technologies during sales activity of the enterprise is disclosed. The specifics of Internet trading are identified. Internet marketing technologies are defined and systematized. The advantages of using Internet marketing as a tool for marketing communications of an enterprise are substantiated. The reserves of increasing the level of marketing activities after the use of Internet technologies are outlined. The practical value of the results obtained is the development of modern Internet marketing technologies to ensure the efficient operation of the enterprise and optimize certain business processes. The scientific novelty of the results obtained is the development of a mechanism for the application of Internet marketing technologies for the marketing activities of the enterprise. Conclusions. With the introduction of the Internet marketing complex, modern companies can automate the process of interaction with customers, provide personalized service at a convenient time, effectively organize feedback, quickly receive marketing information and make effective and informed decisions based on it. The use of such technologies allows companies to reduce administrative costs and increase sales, which leads to an increase in the efficiency of the firm as a whole. Key words: marketing, Internet marketing, innovative technologies, commercial activity of enterprise, Internet technologies.

Application of Collaborative- Interactive Methods in Teaching Literature (Reading) in Primary School

The main purpose of this article is to present the definition of the author's term “collaborative-interactive teaching methods”. In addition to deriving this definition, six collaborative-interactive methods will be presented in a practicalapplied plan. This would give the primary teachers the opportunity to apply them when teaching the “Literature Education” section of the complex school subject Bulgarian Language and Literature. The specific thing about the methods is that they are unpopular and innovative for the Bulgarian primary school. The main methods that were used in that scientific research are theoretical analysis and theoretical synthesis of over 250 methods, from which six were selected and modified.

Synthesis analysis of the morphologies of convex polygonal tubular origami structures based on Yoshimura origami patterns

In this paper, the basic elements of Yoshimura origami patterns are extracted, a discrete splicing construction method to control the circumference of a tubular origami structure based on basic elements is created by summarizing morphological laws, and a construction function and a solution process for the Yoshimura origami pattern tubular structure based on a combination of the basic elements are proposed. A concrete form of the convex polygonal origami structure based on the Yoshimura origami pattern with different numbers of edges is designed by synthesizing the construction function and geometric constraints. This theoretical synthesis approach provides new ideas for the innovative design of origami robots, mechanical metamaterials, and energy-absorbing cushioned structures.

Philosophy of luxury: yes and no

The concept of luxury in the spirit sciences does not have a categorical status, meanwhile, luxury in the history of culture sometimes played a primary role. It is difficult to overstate the role of luxury in the development of art and technology. On the other hand, luxury often served as a cause for the ruin of cities and countries. The article focuses on the role of luxury in ancient ethics. Negative attitudes towards luxury contributed to a positive image of austerity. The positive image of austerity in the Hellenistic schools of antiquity served as the basis for the theoretical synthesis of creed and philosophy in Christianity. The spread of Christianity to the upper strata of Roman society was due to the fact that it was high society that was tired of luxury. Ascesis was subjected not to the poorest strata of society, but to the richest, so the problems of exploitation, it must be admitted, had no direct relation to the genesis of Christianity.

Conceptions of Disciplinary Anxiety across Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Contexts: A Critical and Theoretical Synthesis

Education policy is currently calling for wholistic reform towards the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). However, much of the calls lack practical advice or application to aid classroom and teaching professionals in this venture. Of particular interest should be how properties, such as barriers, of the individual disciplines may change in an integrated form. One such barrier that should be considered is that of anxiety. This review develops a novel framework for STEM anxiety in the educational context. This is accomplished through a review of anxiety literature within the individual disciplines, with reference to related psychological constructs. Literature was reviewed for definitions of anxiety within the disciplines, ways that disciplinary anxiety has been measured, and what antecedents were identified. Antecedents were taken from those that were explicitly identified, as well as those that were inferentially indicated in the definitions or the measurement instruments. The antecedents, or contributors, to the individual disciplinary anxieties were cross-referenced to generate a single list of potential antecedents that may impact learning within the integrated STEM space.

Contextualizing drug use and pharmacological harm in the United States: a socio-historical overview

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to navigate through the socio-historical modulations in American tolerance for different psychoactive substances, and propose a theoretical synthesis formed by two vanguard philosophical doctrines, objectivism, and constructivism. Our approach is grounded on the analysis of social historical context and objective harms that have influenced drug use tolerance in the United States based on key historical events such as: heavy drinking at the dawn of nineteenth century, the establishment and repeal of prohibition, late nineteenth century opiate and cocaine tolerance followed by early twentieth century prohibition, post-prohibition drug concerns such as marijuana prohibition in the 1930s, heroin concerns and medical depressant use in the 1950s, poly-drug use in the 1960s, crack cocaine use in the 1980s, and finally modulations in tolerance for peyote use. Evidence supports the notion of drug harms reduction for the privileged, and criminalization of drug use by marginalized groups. Over long spans of history, however, more objectively harmful drugs are rejected, while drugs that can be used regularly without serous dysfunction are tolerated and normalized. We argue that a framework of social status and pharmacological harm can account for the vacillating policy responses that have emerged to different drugs at different times. Our approach informs the role of socio-cultural conflict in drug policy development and infuse the need for empirical research on the effect of socioeconomic positioning on attitudes of medicalization and legalization of marijuana and opioid policy in contemporary America.

Event-triggered coordinated trajectory tracking control for multiple fully-actuated MSVs under prescribed performance constraints and limited transmission resources

This paper addresses the challenging problem of event-triggered coordinated formation trajectory tracking control for multiple fully-actuated marine surface vehicles (MSVs) affected by uncertain lumped dynamics, time-varying marine environmental disturbances, and prescribed performance constraints, as well as limited transmission resources. A prescribed performance constraint is initially imposed on the neighborhood errors to overcome these issues. The radial basis function neural networks (RBF NNs) and virtual parametric method are adopted to handle the uncertain lumped dynamics and time-varying marine environmental disturbances. Meanwhile, an auxiliary dynamic system is also introduced to compensate for filtering errors. Additionally, a unique event-triggered transmission strategy is devised by innovatively constructing a lumped state term, effectively reducing the burden on the transmission network and conserving resources among the MSVs. A triggering threshold condition is constructed to ensure Zeno-free behavior in the sense that guarantees the lower bound of the release intervals is always larger than zero. The overall Lyapunov theoretical synthesis reveals the boundedness of all closed-loop signals. Finally, the effectiveness and advantages of the designed strategy for event-triggered coordinated trajectory tracking control are verified through numerical simulation.

Supplemental Material for The Effectiveness of Work–Nonwork Interventions: A Theoretical Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

Supplemental Material for The Effectiveness of Work–Nonwork Interventions: A Theoretical Synthesis and Meta-Analysis

The effectiveness of work-nonwork interventions: A theoretical synthesis and meta-analysis.

A growing body of intervention studies is concerned with improving the work-nonwork interface. Extant work-nonwork interventions are diverse in terms of content and effectiveness. We map these interventions onto work-nonwork theories that explain why the interventions should improve proximal work-nonwork outcomes (i.e., conflict, enrichment, balance). Our resulting integrative framework suggests that interventions can affect work-nonwork outcomes via distinct mechanisms, which can be delineated according to their (a) content valence (i.e., increasing resources/positive characteristics or decreasing demands/negative characteristics); (b) locality (i.e., personal or contextual factors); and (c) domain (i.e., work, the nonwork, or the boundary-spanning). We further provide a meta-analytic review of the efficacy of such interventions based on 6,680 participants within 26 pre-post control group design intervention studies. The meta-analytic results reveal an overall significant main effect across all identified interventions for improving proximal work-nonwork outcomes. When comparing different kinds of interventions aimed at increasing resources, we found beneficial effects for interventions targeting personal resources over contextual resources and interventions in the nonwork domain compared to interventions in the work or boundary-spanning domain. We conclude that work-nonwork interventions effectively improve the work-nonwork interface and discuss theoretical and practical implications of the more substantial effects and potential advantages of interventions aimed at enhancing personal resources in the nonwork domain. Finally, we provide concrete recommendations for future research and elaborate on the type of studies we would like to see in terms of interventions targeting the reduction of demands, for which we found only a limited number of studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Viktor von Weizsäcker's Gestaltkreis Theory. The Dynamic and Subjective Relationship of Perception and Movement.

The paper presents Victor von Weizsäcker's theory of Gestaltkreis (i.e. 'circle of form'), which offers an original theoretical contribution. It is rich of fruitful stimuli for understanding the relationship of the living organism with its environment, recognizing a dynamic unity between perception and the movement. The paper first provides some biographical, scientific and clinical professional life elements of Viktor von Weizsäcker, then it presents the dynamic theory of Gestaltkreis with its principles and key elements, and finally discusses the epistemological and methodological implications. Von Weizsäcker's Gestaltkreis theory - systematically published in 1939 - represents the effort of a theoretical synthesis of the experiments conducted in the field of neurology, of studies of perception and voluntary movement. It is based on the complementary and simultaneous unity of perception and movement, and it establishes a substantial contribution against the mechanism of physiology, by overcoming the notion of automatic reflex. Such a theory consolidates von Weizsäcker's systematic commitment to his epistemological, methodological and ethical project for the 'introduction of the subject in the biological sciences'.

Revisiting how scientific research drives technological change: The Fifth Industrial Revolution

Moll, Marwala, and Ntlatlapa highlight salient criticisms of terminologies and definitional uncertainties associated with the term ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ (4IR). Scientific research on technological change seems to suggest a need for theoretical synthesis to address a failure of 4IR notions to consider the central role of a revolution in the scientific/knowledge creation process itself – that is seemingly a causal driver of current technological and societal changes. The term ‘Fifth Industrial Revolution’ might helpfully be used to differentiate 4IR debates from those deriving from revolutionary changes in science itself that may underlie our current trajectory of technological change.

Post-Keynesian Economics: New Foundations by Marc LavoieChapter 2: Theory of Choice

ABSTRACT This work presents and discusses chapter two of Marc Lavoie’s book Post-Keynesian Economics: New Foundations. It begins by analysing the concepts of uncertainty and rationality which are extremely important for the post Keynesian approach, and for economic theorizing in general. The notions of fundamental uncertainty and the closely related concept of procedural rationality, are employed in order to build the foundations of a theory of household choice. It proceeds by investigating the repercussions of the theory in a lexicographic/hierarchical analytical framework. In this framework, groups consume different goods depending on their respective needs, income effects are more important than substitution effects, and price competition has a secondary role. It is also shown that Lavoie’s approach does not only draw from the work of Keynes and other major post-Keynesian theorists, but also utilizes contributions from other strands of heterodox economics, thus providing an agenda for a possible theoretical synthesis.