Theory vs. Paradigm — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 9, 2024
A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, whereas a paradigm is a conceptual framework that guides thinking and research in a scientific field.
Difference Between Theory and Paradigm
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A theory, in the scientific context, is an established and empirically verifiable explanation of phenomena, developed through the scientific method. It is supported by a significant body of evidence and is designed to be testable. Paradigms, on the other hand, are broader conceptual frameworks that shape the methodologies, standards, and theories within a specific scientific field. They influence how scientists perceive, interpret, and investigate the natural world.
Theories often emerge within paradigms, serving as the building blocks for understanding specific aspects of the natural or social world. For instance, the theory of evolution by natural selection is a key theory within the biological sciences. Paradigms, however, encompass a wider range of assumptions and methodologies, such as the Darwinian paradigm in biology, which sets the context for numerous theories like natural selection.
While theories can be tested, refined, or even replaced based on new evidence, paradigms are more enduring and shift only when there is a significant accumulation of anomalies that cannot be explained by the current paradigm. This process, known as a paradigm shift, involves a fundamental change in the scientific community's approach to a particular field of study.
The development of a theory often involves the identification of patterns, the formulation of hypotheses, and extensive testing through observation and experimentation. Paradigms, whereas, are established through a more collective agreement within the scientific community, often after a groundbreaking discovery or a revolutionary theory that reshapes the understanding of a field.
In terms of applicability, theories are used to predict and explain specific phenomena within the scope of the paradigm. Paradigms, on the other hand, provide a broader, more general lens through which scientists view phenomena, guiding the selection of which theories are applicable and how they should be applied.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
An explanation of phenomena, substantiated by evidence
A conceptual framework guiding scientific thought and research
Scope
Specific, focused on particular phenomena
Broad, encompassing an entire field of study
Function
Explains and predicts phenomena
Guides methodologies, standards, and theoretical approaches
Flexibility
Can be adjusted or replaced based on new evidence
Changes only through paradigm shifts, which are less frequent
Development
Through hypothesis testing and empirical validation
Through collective scientific agreement and significant discoveries
Compare with Definitions
Theory
A substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world.
The theory of relativity revolutionized physics.
Paradigm
A broad framework that guides scientific inquiry in a field.
The Copernican paradigm shifted the view of the cosmos.
Theory
Developed through observation, experimentation, and evidence.
Years of research led to the germ theory of disease.
Paradigm
Influences how scientists perceive and investigate phenomena.
The ecological paradigm emphasizes the interconnectivity in nature.
Theory
Can be revised or replaced in light of new evidence.
The heliocentric theory replaced the geocentric model.
Paradigm
Encompasses theories, methodologies, and standards.
The Newtonian paradigm dominated physics until the 20th century.
Theory
Serves to predict and explain specific phenomena.
Quantum theory explains the behavior of particles at subatomic levels.
Paradigm
Changes through paradigm shifts, which are rare.
The introduction of quantum mechanics led to a new paradigm in physics.
Theory
Often emerges within the context of a broader paradigm.
The Big Bang theory is a pivotal part of cosmological studies.
Paradigm
Provides the context for the development and acceptance of theories.
The genomic paradigm is reshaping biological research.
Theory
A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research.
Paradigm
In science and philosophy, a paradigm () is a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, postulates, and standards for what constitutes legitimate contributions to a field.
Theory
A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
Paradigm
A typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model
Society's paradigm of the ‘ideal woman’
Theory
The branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice
A fine musician who had never studied theory.
Paradigm
A set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles
English determiners form a paradigm: we can say ‘a book’ or ‘his book’ but not ‘a his book’
Theory
A set of theorems that constitute a systematic view of a branch of mathematics.
Paradigm
(in the traditional grammar of Latin, Greek, and other inflected languages) a table of all the inflected forms of a particular verb, noun, or adjective, serving as a model for other words of the same conjugation or declension.
Theory
Abstract reasoning; speculation
A decision based on experience rather than theory.
Paradigm
One that serves as a pattern or model.
Theory
A belief or principle that guides action or assists comprehension or judgment
Staked out the house on the theory that criminals usually return to the scene of the crime.
Paradigm
A set or list of all the inflectional forms of a word or of one of its grammatical categories
The paradigm of an irregular verb.
Theory
An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.
Paradigm
A set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitutes a way of viewing reality for the community that shares them, especially in an intellectual discipline.
Theory
A description of an event or system that is considered to be accurate.
Paradigm
A pattern, a way of doing something, especially a pattern of thought, a system of beliefs, a conceptual framework.
Thomas Kuhn's landmark “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” got people talking about paradigm shifts, to the point the word itself now suggests an incomplete or biased perspective.
Theory
(sciences) A coherent statement or set of ideas that explains observed facts or phenomena and correctly predicts new facts or phenomena not previously observed, or which sets out the laws and principles of something known or observed; a hypothesis confirmed by observation, experiment etc.
Paradigm
An example serving as the model for such a pattern.
Theory
(uncountable) The underlying principles or methods of a given technical skill, art etc., as opposed to its practice.
Paradigm
(linguistics) A set of all forms which contain a common element, especially the set of all inflectional forms of a word or a particular grammatical category.
The paradigm of "to sing" is "sing, sang, sung". The verb "to ring" follows the same paradigm.
Theory
(mathematics) A field of study attempting to exhaustively describe a particular class of constructs.
Knot theory classifies the mappings of a circle into 3-space.
Paradigm
An example; a model; a pattern.
Theory
A hypothesis or conjecture.
Paradigm
An example of a conjugation or declension, showing a word in all its different forms of inflection.
Theory
A set of axioms together with all statements derivable from them; or, a set of statements which are deductively closed. Equivalently, a formal language plus a set of axioms (from which can then be derived theorems). The statements may be required to all be bound (i.e., to have no free variables).
A theory is consistent if it has a model.
Paradigm
An illustration, as by a parable or fable.
Theory
A doctrine, or scheme of things, which terminates in speculation or contemplation, without a view to practice; hypothesis; speculation.
Paradigm
A theory providing a unifying explanation for a set of phenomena in some field, which serves to suggest methods to test the theory and develop a fuller understanding of the topic, and which is considered useful until it is be replaced by a newer theory providing more accurate explanations or explanations for a wider range of phenomena.
Theory
An exposition of the general or abstract principles of any science; as, the theory of music.
Paradigm
Systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word
Theory
The science, as distinguished from the art; as, the theory and practice of medicine.
Paradigm
A standard or typical example;
He is the prototype of good breeding
He provided America with an image of the good father
Theory
The philosophical explanation of phenomena, either physical or moral; as, Lavoisier's theory of combustion; Adam Smith's theory of moral sentiments.
Paradigm
The class of all items that can be substituted into the same position (or slot) in a grammatical sentence (are in paradigmatic relation with one another)
Theory
A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena;
Theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses
True in fact and theory
Paradigm
The generally accepted perspective of a particular discipline at a given time;
He framed the problem within the psychoanalytic paradigm
Theory
A tentative theory about the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena;
A scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific theory
He proposed a fresh theory of alkalis that later was accepted in chemical practices
Common Curiosities
Can a theory exist outside of a paradigm?
Theories typically exist within paradigms, as paradigms provide the overarching framework for understanding and investigating phenomena.
How is a theory tested?
Theories are tested through empirical research, including observations, experiments, and the validation of predictions made by the theory.
What's the main difference between a theory and a paradigm?
A theory is a specific, testable explanation for phenomena, while a paradigm is a broad conceptual framework guiding scientific research.
Are paradigms applicable only to natural sciences?
No, paradigms are also applicable in social sciences, humanities, and other fields of inquiry, guiding research and theoretical development.
Is evolution a theory or a paradigm?
Evolution is a theory, specifically the theory of evolution by natural selection, within the broader Darwinian paradigm in biology.
Can a paradigm be wrong?
Paradigms are not about being right or wrong; they are frameworks that guide research. They may be replaced if they no longer effectively guide research in light of new evidence.
Can theories from different paradigms be combined?
Combining theories from different paradigms is challenging because they are based on different assumptions and methodologies, but interdisciplinary research sometimes attempts to bridge these gaps.
What causes a paradigm shift?
Paradigm shifts occur when existing paradigms fail to explain significant anomalies, leading to the adoption of new frameworks that better accommodate these findings.
How does one identify the prevailing paradigm in a field?
The prevailing paradigm is usually identified by reviewing the dominant theories, methodologies, and standards used in current research and scholarly work in the field.
How do scientists agree on a new paradigm?
Agreement on a new paradigm typically follows a period of debate and comparison of the new paradigm's effectiveness in explaining anomalies that the old paradigm could not.
Are paradigms subject to change over time?
Yes, paradigms can and do change over time, especially in response to new discoveries and significant anomalies.
What role do paradigms play in scientific revolutions?
Paradigms are central to scientific revolutions, as the shift from one paradigm to another marks a revolutionary change in how a field understands its subject matter.
How do paradigms affect the interpretation of data?
Paradigms influence what scientists consider significant data, how they interpret it, and the methodologies they use in their research.
Can an individual scientist propose a new paradigm?
Yes, an individual scientist can propose a new paradigm, but it requires widespread acceptance within the scientific community to become established.
What's an example of a theory that caused a paradigm shift?
Einstein's theory of relativity caused a paradigm shift in physics by challenging the Newtonian paradigm.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
