Situational analysis

Situational analysis (or Situational logic) is a concept advanced by Popper in his The Poverty of Historicism. Situational analysis is a process by which a social scientist tries to reconstruct the problem situation confronting an agent in order to understand that agent's choice. Koertge (1975) provides a helpful clarificatory summary.

First provide a description of the situation:

''Agent A was in a situation of type C''.

This situation is then analysed

''In a situation of type C, the appropriate thing to do is X.''

The rationality principle may then be called upon:

''agents always act appropriately to their situation''

Finally we have the explanadum:

''(therefore) A did X.''