Formal models constitute an essential part of contemporary political science and International Relations. Their recent history is tightly tied to the developments of Rational Choice Theory, which is considered to be the only deductive theory in the social sciences. This unique character, especially its manifestation through mathematical symbolisms, has caused profound schisms and criticisms in the discipline. Formal models have constantly been accused of being built on unrealistic assumptions

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... human behaviour and social structure, rendering as a result either trivial predictions or no empirical prediction at all. Nevertheless, these criticisms frequently ignore essential elements of the concept of explanation and how it is applicable to formal modelling. In this paper, I provide an approach to mathematical modelling that considers the challenges of designing and performing empirical tests of predictions generated by formal models. Rather than disqualifying or falsifying models, empirical tests are paramount to the tailoring of more grounded explanations of political phenomena and should be seen as a tool to enhance modelling. In this sense, I scrutinise two examples of formal modelling in IR, and derive lessons for the empirical testing of models in the discipline. Lima, Enzo Lenine Models, explanation, and the pitfalls of empirical testing 83 ser vistos como uma ferramenta para aprimorar a modelagem. Nesse sentido, analiso dois exemplos de modelagem formal em RI e extraio lições para o teste empírico de modelos na disciplina. Palavras-chave: modelos formais, teoria da escolha racional, teste empírico, explicação