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: This situation is then analysed The rationality principle may then be called upon: ''agents always act appropriately to their situation'' Finally we have the explanadum: ''(therefore) A did X.''