Theory & Model Construction (psychrev-theory-construction)

When to trigger

• The problem and the rivals are set; now you must build the theory
• You have intuitions but no explicit assumptions or mechanism
• Your "model" is a diagram with no specified dynamics or equations
• Verbal claims need to be made formal enough to derive predictions

The build order

A Psychological Review theory is assembled in a disciplined sequence. Skipping a step is the most common reason a draft reads as "a story, not a theory."