13 Characteristics of a Theory

John Spacey, updated on April 26, 2024

Characteristics of a theory are properties of a "good" theory that indicate its validity. A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of the world that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed. The following are the basic characteristics of a theory.

Testable	Can be supported or refuted with empirical evidence.
Falsifiable	Could be proven false if it were false.
Evidence	Supported by empirical evidence.
Practical Value	Applicable to a range of contexts and situations.
Coherence	Internally consistent and logical.
Novelty	Offers new explanations.
Relevance	Applicable to current issues or the future of a field of study.
Parsimony & Economy	Based on fewer assumptions than alternative explanations.
Consensus	High degree of agreement in the relevant field that the theory is valid.
Precision	Provides specific explanations.
Objective	Not influenced by bias.
Transparent	Experiment design, data and other relevant information is openly disclosed.
Open to Challenge	The theory is defended but with an open mind. The theory can change with new evidence.

In order to be falsifiable it must be feasible to obtain the evidence that would disprove the theory. For example, if you claim that there is a small green marshmallow floating in space somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy, you would need to check every square inch of the Andromeda Galaxy at the same time to disprove the claim. This isn't feasible so the claim isn't falsifiable.

A possible 14th characteristic of a good theory is that it be consistent with established knowledge. We left this out because it would seem like an excuse to defend the status quo from new theories that overturn invalid assumptions in a field.

Summary

A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the universe. In common parlance, this is often confused with a hypothesis. In truth, a scientific theory is a rigorous and generally accepted model that is factual.