science

Process theory

Process theory is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Process theory rather than just read about it. In short: A process theory is a system of ideas which explains how an entity changes and develops. Process theories are often contrasted with variance theories, that is, systems of ideas that explain the variance in a dependent variable based on one or more independent variables.

Key takeaways

Process theory belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Process theory to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Process theory from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A process theory is a system of ideas which explains how an entity changes and develops. Process theories are often contrasted with variance theories, that is, systems of ideas that explain the variance in a dependent variable based on one or more independent variables. While process theories focus on how something happens, variance theories focus on why something happens. Examples of process theories include evolution by natural selection, continental drift and the nitrogen cycle.

Process theory archetypes Process theories come in four common archetypes. Evolutionary process theories explain change in a population through variation, selection and retention—much like biological evolution. In a dialectic process theory, "stability and change are explained by reference to the balance of power between opposing entities" (p. 517). In a teleological process theory, an agent "constructs an envisioned end state, takes action to reach it and monitors the progress" (p. 518). In a lifecycle process theory, "the trajectory to the final end state is prefigured and requires a particular historical sequence of events" (p. 515); that is, change always conforms to the same series of activities, stages, phases, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly.

Applications and examples Process theories are important in management and software engineering. Process theories are used to explain how people are motivated and how decisions are made, how software is designed and how software processes are improved. Motivation theories can be classified broadly into two different perspectives: content and process theories.

Content theories deal with “what” motivates people and it is concerned with individual needs and goals. Maslow, Alderfer, Herzberg and McClelland studied motivation from a “content” perspective. Process theories deal with the "process" of motivation and are concerned with "how" motivation occurs. Vroom, Porter and Lawler (see: Victor Vroom#Theory of Expectancy), John Stacey Adams and Edwin Locke studied motivation from a "process" perspective. Process theories are also used in education, psychology, geology and many other fields; however, they are not always called "process theories".

See also Interactions of actors theory Process-oriented psychology Process philosophy Process architecture

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Process theory

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Process theory claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Process theory before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Process theory ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Process theory

In research: Process theory appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Process theory in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Process theory is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Management science, Process theory, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Process theory outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Process theory in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Process theory means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Process theory out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Process theory in simple terms?

Why does Process theory matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Process theory?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Process theory.