Statistical Models and its Impacts in Scientific Explanation: An Analytical Study applied to social sciences. | ||||
| مجلة کلية التربية فى العلوم الإنسانية و الأدبية | ||||
| Volume 31, Issue 2, April 2025, Page 315-372 PDF (609.02 K) | ||||
| Document Type: المقالة الأصلية | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jfehls.2025.447742 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| Mohamed Sayed Hassan1; Mariam Abdel Masih Youssef2 | ||||
| 1Professor of Philosophy of Science Egyptian Japanese University for science and Technology | ||||
| 2Lecturer of Philosophy of Science Minia University | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The aim of the present study is to examine the validity of statistical models as applied in social sciences, and its role in scientific explanations. This study displays some historical perspectives that aimed to give explanation of both social phenomena and psychological behaviors. It is indicated that both inductive and deductive approaches could not give proper explanations to social events, or psychological behaviors. We will try to give insights on concept of causality and its epistemological foundations. We claimed in this study that statistical inferences can lead to plausible explanations of social phenomena. Therefore, we apply the probabilistic models to indicate how they are valid to bring social sciences to the domain of exact and natural sciences. The probabilistic model based on factor analysis, as this model employs the most modern ideas, as well as the most accepted and widespread model at the present time. The probabilistic interpretation is considered the closest to the nature of the social phenomenon that is based on a rational, changing being. This study gains its importance in highlighting the epistemological role of the philosophy of social sciences in dealing with this problem of a special nature. This study depends on critical analysis approach to present and analyze of epistemological foundations. In addition, this study seeks to analyze the factor analysis approach, as it has been employed to uncover causal relationships in the context of social sciences. The focus is no longer on the possibility of generalization and prediction, but rather the focus has become on describing the characteristics, mechanisms and factors that relate to the cases of individuals, families, small groups and community organizations. The probabilistic model, as represented in the structure of factor analysis, proposes a relationship between the macro and the micro or between the constant and the variable. The constant here is nothing but context that plays an important role in determining the form and character of the correlations and relationships between different variables. Then, in the context of social sciences, the researcher seeks to analyze these mathematical values in order to understand the phenomenon and provide a set of predictions and generalizations to reach almost certain results. This is why we can say that inferential statistics are used to explain social phenomena or human behavior as a scientific attempt to generalize results and reach - to some extent - possible results based on a measure that is designed as a tool for collecting and analyzing data. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| causality; social sciences; Scientific Explanation; Probabilities- Factor analysis; mathematical modeling | ||||
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