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

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.