Multiple Discrepancies Theory

Abstract

The three remaining sections of this chapter are devoted to a detailed account of MDT. The substance of the theory has changed very little since it was originally explained in Michalos (1985), but the version presented here has a bit more precision. In the next section I review the seven discrepancies employed in the theory, and provide more information about research and developments related to the specific theories connected to these discrepancies. Section 2.3 gives an overview of research on the social and personal construction of knowledge, perception and value. It seemed worthwhile to include this material in the context of a discussion of the notoriously low correlations people have found between objective and subjective indicators because there are still researchers who imagine that the correlations are between things that are wholly independent and rigorously measurable on the one hand and things that are equally independent but only roughly measurable on the other hand. In fact, there is apparently much more inter-dependence, interaction and similarity in measurement problems than such researchers suppose. In the final section I review the literature on the role of background conditions and conditioners on perceived well-being.