ao1 nomothetic

Question 1

what is the nomothetic approach?

Answer 1

• Seeks to formulate general laws of behaviour based on the study of groups and the use of statistical, quantitive techniques.
• scientific method such as laboratory experiments and
  controlled observations, where the influence of extraneous and confounding variables are removed, allowing reliable conclusions to be drawn.

Question 2

Radford and Kirby the nomothetic approach has produced 3 general laws:

Answer 2

• classifying people into groups
• establishing the principles of behaviour that can be applied to people in general
• establishing dimensions along which people can be placed, compared, measured

Question 3

Examples of the Nomothetic Approach: behaviourists

Answer 3

• Behaviourists explain all behaviour which has been learnt through experience.
• to collect valid and reliable data, behaviourists often use laboratory experiments, where strict control upon extraneous and confounding variables allows for a ‘cause and effect’ relationship between variables to be established.

Question 4

Examples of the Nomothetic Approach: biological

Answer 4

• makes use of brain scans to make inferences about the localisation of brain function.
• For example, the use of PET scans by Tulving et al. helped to establish that semantic memories were recalled from the left prefrontal cortex,
  whilst episodic memories were recalled from the right prefrontal cortex.

Question 5

Examples of the nomothetic approach: cognitive

Answer 5

• cognitive approach uses objective methods of measuring brain activity, such as EEG and PET scans.
• allows cognitive psychologists to draw inferences about the workings of mental processes.