Modeling psychopathology: From data models to formal theories.

Area of Science:

• Psychopathology research
• Complex systems science
• Philosophy of science

Background:

• Growing empirical research treats mental disorders as complex systems.
• Need for formal theories to achieve explanation, prediction, and control in psychopathology.
• Current research lacks a unified framework for theory construction.

Approach:

• Review of philosophy of science regarding scientific theories.
• Investigation of three methods for constructing formal theories from empirical data models.
• Evaluation of methods for theory development and refinement.

Key Points:

• Formal theories, expressed mathematically or computationally, are necessary for advancing psychopathology.
• Three routes exist for theory construction: using data models directly, inferring theories, or comparing models.
• Comparing empirical data models to theory-implied models is the most promising method.
• The abductive formal theory construction (AFTC) framework is introduced.

Conclusions:

• The AFTC framework provides a clear path for using empirical research to build and test formal theories.
• This approach can advance both psychopathology and broader psychological science.
• Formal theory construction is crucial for the fundamental aims of scientific inquiry in mental health.