Deductivism

Reasoning from the general to the specific. The process involves the evaluation of generalizations by generating hypotheses which can be tested using appropriate data. Deductive research is cumulative and involves the constant refining of hypotheses. ― Deductivism - Oxford Reference

Deductivism emphasises that theories come first, then observations. According to deductivists, inductivism is invalid, because scientific theories cannot be proved from any particular observations. They can only be disproved. Experiments can be done to test the theories, but the theories are only approximations. ― Social Research Glossary