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Table 6 Social capital proposition—inference to best explanation

From: Realist theory construction for a mixed method multilevel study of neighbourhood context and postnatal depression

Criteria

Application

Hill’s aspects of association

Strength

Social Capital (social networks) was identified by QUAL and QUANT as associated with depression at the individual and ecological levels

Consistency

Social Capital (social networks) and social support has been previously identified as associated with maternal depression

Specificity

Postnatal depression is strongly linked to lack of support

Temporality

No temporality demonstrated in this study

Biological gradient

There was a gradient at the individual and ecological level

Plausibility

The association between social networks with stress is plausible

Coherence

The association is coherent with what is know

Experimental evidence

There is experimental evidence that home visiting and other support reduced maternal depression

Analogy

There is an analogy between of social network support and the benefits of emotional and practical support all reducing stress and depression

Thagard’s Principles

Symmetry

There is symmetry between social capital reducing stress and social isolation causing stress

Explanation

The social capital propositions a) coheres with evidence on depression, b) coheres with other propositions and c) is not a single proposition

Analogy

There is an analogy between of social network support and the benefits of emotional and practical support all reducing stress and depression

Data priority

The proposition describes the data observations

Contradiction

There are no contradictory proposals

Competition

No competitive explanation identified where p and q were not explanatorily connected

Acceptance

The social capital propositions are coherent with the overall system of propositions

Thagard’s Criteria

Consilience

Social capital propositions explain a limited range of known facts

Simplicity

Social capital propositions are not sufficient to explain depression. Not the most simple explanation

Analogy

There is an analogy between of social network support and the benefits of emotional and practical support all reducing stress and depression