The Formulation of the Zero-Variable Theory

Abstract

When we read about a “type” theory we seldom ask about its exact formulation. We are led instead to ask “What does the type do?” and “Is the type reliably different from other types?” However, if we were even minimally faithful to the philosophy of science introduction sections of our own text books, we would ask, “What are the interrelations among psychological variables that lead to the theoretically pertinent reactions?” In short, the reader who is confronted with a type theory is often asked to apply substandard criteria, and is not to expect an explicit, conceptual formulation entailing variables.