2.5: Idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation Flashcards

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1
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.

Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks)

A

The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach)

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2
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).

A

The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm

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3
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.

A

The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world

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4
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective

A

Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach

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5
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.

A

Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self’

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6
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’

A

In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour

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7
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

A

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled

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8
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.

A

The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments

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9
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.

A

Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance

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10
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.

A

Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example:
1. Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
2. Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
3. Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function

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11
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

First AO3 PEEL paragraph

A

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual

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12
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
What may this do?

A

This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws

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13
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
Example

A

For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain

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14
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.

A

This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller’s law), which is a nomothetic approach

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15
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
What is also true?
A

It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding

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16
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

Second AO3 PEEL paragraph

A

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work

17
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms

A

One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans)

18
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).

A

Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour

19
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this,

A

As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias

20
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore,

A

Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better

21
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

Third AO3 PEEL paragraph

A

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing

22
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
What have such processes done?

A

Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100

23
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
What does this arguably do?

A

This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility

24
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

Fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph

A

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology

25
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology.
Example

A

For example, knowing that there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who is suffering from the disorder

26
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology.
For example, knowing that there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who is suffering from the disorder.
Similarly,

A

Similarly, in laboratory studies involving tests of memory, for example, participants are treated as a series of scores, rather than individual people, and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored

27
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology.
For example, knowing that there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who is suffering from the disorder.
Similarly, in laboratory studies involving tests of memory, for example, participants are treated as a series of scores, rather than individual people, and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored.
What does this mean?

A

This means that in its search for generalities, the nomothetic approach overlooks the richness of human experience, so the idiographic approach is more appropriate

28
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology.
For example, knowing that there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who is suffering from the disorder.
Similarly, in laboratory studies involving tests of memory, for example, participants are treated as a series of scores, rather than individual people, and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored.
This means that in its search for generalities, the nomothetic approach overlooks the richness of human experience, so the idiographic approach is more appropriate.

Fifth AO3 PEEL paragraph

A

The fifth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic and nomothetic approaches could be complementary rather than contradictory.
They do not have to be mutually exclusive (one or the other), as it’s possible to study a topic from both perspectives

29
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology.
For example, knowing that there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who is suffering from the disorder.
Similarly, in laboratory studies involving tests of memory, for example, participants are treated as a series of scores, rather than individual people, and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored.
This means that in its search for generalities, the nomothetic approach overlooks the richness of human experience, so the idiographic approach is more appropriate.

The fifth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic and nomothetic approaches could be complementary rather than contradictory.
They do not have to be mutually exclusive (one or the other), as it’s possible to study a topic from both perspectives.
Example

A

For example, it is possible to study gender identity by using both Sandra Bern’s androgyny scale and the David Reimer case study

30
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology.
For example, knowing that there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who is suffering from the disorder.
Similarly, in laboratory studies involving tests of memory, for example, participants are treated as a series of scores, rather than individual people, and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored.
This means that in its search for generalities, the nomothetic approach overlooks the richness of human experience, so the idiographic approach is more appropriate.

The fifth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic and nomothetic approaches could be complementary rather than contradictory.
They do not have to be mutually exclusive (one or the other), as it’s possible to study a topic from both perspectives.
For example, it is possible to study gender identity by using both Sandra Bern’s androgyny scale and the David Reimer case study.

A

Wilhelm Windelband originally introduced the terms idiographic and nomothetic as a way of understanding approaches in psychology

31
Q

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches in psychology.
Refer to two topics you have studied in your answer (16 marks).
The idiographic approach is an approach to research that focuses more on the individual’s case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour (which is the nomothetic approach).
The idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual.
People are studied as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.
There may be no attempt made to compare these to a larger group, standard or norm.
The idiographic approach is generally associated with those methods in psychology that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and other self-report measures.
This reflects one of the central aims of idiographic research - to describe the richness of human experience and gain insight into the person’s unique way of viewing the world.
Probably the best example of the idiographic perspective is the humanistic approach.
Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow took a phenomenological approach to the study of human beings and were interested only in documenting the conscious experience of the individual or ‘self.’
In describing themselves as ‘anti-scientific,’ humanistic psychologists were more concerned with investigating unique experience ‘on its own merits,’ than producing general laws of behaviour.

The nomothetic approach is an approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.
These provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured and, on the basis of which, likely future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.
The nomothetic approach is most closely aligned with those methods that would be regarded as ‘scientific’ within psychology, such as experiments.
Hypotheses are formulated, tested under controlled conditions and findings generated from large numbers of people (or animals) are analysed for their statistical significance.
Much of the research conducted by behaviourist, cognitive and biological psychologists would meet the criteria of the nomothetic approach.
For example, Skinner and behaviourists studied the responses of hundreds of rats, cats, pigeons, ect, in order to develop the laws of learning.
Cognitive psychologists have been able to infer the structure and processes of human memory (Miller’s law) by measuring the performance of large samples of people in laboratory tests.
Biological psychologists have conducted brain scans on countless human brains (as well as the people who own them) in order to make generalisations about localisation of function.

The first AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides a complete and global account of the individual.
This may complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging such laws.
For example, a single case study may generate hypotheses for further study, such as HM.
Corkin conducted experimental research with HM and found that he was able to form long-term procedural memories (muscle memories) for simple motor skills and tasks.
This showed that not only are these types of memory different, but that they are also stored in different parts of the brain.
This case (idiographic research) was used to create general laws of memory (Miller's law), which is a nomothetic approach.
It is also true that in the case of brain-damaged individuals like HM, findings may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding.

The second AO3 PEEL paragraph is that on the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
One of Freud’s criticisms is that many of his key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).
Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.
As well as this, methods associated with the idiographic approach, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.
Therefore, the idiographic approach lacks validity and so the nomothetic approach is better.

The third AO3 PEEL paragaph is that the processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions, using data sets that provide group averages, statistical analysis, prediction and control, for example in the field of IQ testing.
Such processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of ‘typical’ behaviour, such as the average IQ of 100.
This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

The fourth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that However, the preoccupation within the nomothetic approach on general laws, prediction and control has been accused of ‘losing the whole person’ within psychology.
For example, knowing that there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who is suffering from the disorder.
Similarly, in laboratory studies involving tests of memory, for example, participants are treated as a series of scores, rather than individual people, and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored.
This means that in its search for generalities, the nomothetic approach overlooks the richness of human experience, so the idiographic approach is more appropriate.

The fifth AO3 PEEL paragraph is that the idiographic and nomothetic approaches could be complementary rather than contradictory.
They do not have to be mutually exclusive (one or the other), as it’s possible to study a topic from both perspectives.
For example, it is possible to study gender identity by using both Sandra Bern’s androgyny scale and the David Reimer case study.
Wilhelm Windelband originally introduced the terms idiographic and nomothetic as a way of understanding approaches in psychology.
However,

A

However, it could now be argued that they have converged and that the aim or goal of modern psychology is to give a rich and detailed description of human behaviour, as well as the explanation of such behaviour within a framework of general laws