3) Issues and Debates - Idiographic and Nomothetic Approach

Question 1

What is the Idiographic Approach?

Answer 1

• An approach which attempts to investigate the nature of individuals rather than formulate general laws.
• People are studied as unique entities with their own subjective experiences.

Question 2

What is the nomothetic approach?

Answer 2

• Attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.

Question 3

Which types of studies are idiographic?

Answer 3

• Studies which produce qualitative data.
• Case studies.
• Unstructured interviews.
• Self report measures.

Question 4

Which types of studies are nomothetic?

Answer 4

• Experiments (studies involving large numbers).

Question 5

Which approach is idiographc?

Answer 5

Humanistic

Question 6

Give a strength for the idiographic approach

Answer 6

P - Provides a complete account of the individual.
E - This can be done through the in-depth qualitative methods of investigation.
E - The case of HM gives important insights about normal functioning which can contribute to our overall understanding.
L - Therefore a single case may generate hypothesise for further studies

Question 7

Give two limitation for the Idiographic Approach

Answer 7

P - The idiographic approach is restricted.
E - Freud’s concept of the Oedipus complex shows this as it was largely developed from the detailed single study of Little Hans.
E - Therefore meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples as there is no adequate baseline to compare behaviour.

P - Methods associated with the idiographic approach are less scientific.
E - This can be seen with case studies.
E - Open to bias as they are exposed to the subjective interpretation by the researcher.

Question 8

Give a strength of the Nomothetic Approach

Answer 8

P - Processes in the nomothetic approach tend to be more scientific.
E - It follows many procedures within natural sciences, such as standardised conditions, using data sets etc.
E - These processes have enabled psychologists to establish norms of typical behaviour, such as the average IQ score.
L - This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility.

Question 9

Give a limitation of the nomothetic approach

Answer 9

P - The nomothetic approach has been accused of “losing the whole person” within psychology.
E - In lab studies participants are treated as data instead of individual people and their subjective experience of the situation, such as in memory studies.
E - Therefore it may overlook the richness of human experiences.