Suchergebnisse

Familiarization with simulation techniques Is considered essential for sociol'ts if they are to become capable of rethinking their methodological problems in the light of the new facilities already available to them. An example of simulation is given & the use of the exp'al approach & the diff types of simulation in sociol are described. Incomplete deterministic models, complete stochastic models, & incomplete stochastic models are discussed; the latter are the ones most frequently used at present. The value of simulation techniques in sociol is seen to lie in its ability to facilitate theory construction. When the sociol'st seeks the explanation of a series of observations, it is unusual for a complete theory to come into his mind. The construction of sci'fic theories is a dialectical process in which the imagination is stimulated by continual reference to observations & to earlier theories. Consequently in the course of this process, the sociol'st is led to formulate various hyp's, often partial, concerning the relations which link up in reality the variables whose existence he is assuming. Testing the hyp's under `pure' conditions can be done with a simulable model. Simulation techniques help in the construction of theories by allowing the testing of the value of models that were formerly not calculable. The simulable model serves in a similar way to the calculable analytical model. It will not replace exp'tion but constitutes a valuable method of exp'al analysis which, for the sociol'st, counter-balances the impossibility of exp'ing on soc facts. M. Maxfield.