Comparison of approaches Flashcards
What’s nomothetic?
Large groups of people to try and develop general ‘laws’ about behaviour that apply to everyone. Usually favours uses large-scale scientific experiments.
What’s idiographic?
Try and understand what makes individuals unique. Tends to favour/use highly qualitative methods such as case studies and interviews.
What approaches are scientific/unscientific?
Scientific – biological, behaviourist, SLT, and cognitive.
Unscientific – psychodynamic and humanistic.
What approaches are useful/not useful?
Useful – all are useful.
Not useful – none.
What approaches are reductionist/holistic?
Reductionist – biological, behaviourist, SLT, cognitive and psychodynamic.
Holistic – humanistic.
What approaches are determinist/focus on free will?
Determinist – biological, behaviourist, SLT and psychodynamic.
Free will – humanistic.
Both – cognitive.
What approaches focus on nature/nurture?
Nature – biological.
Nurture – behaviourist and SLT.
Both – cognitive, psychodynamic and humanistic.
What approaches are idiographic/nomothetic?
Idiographic – psychodynamic and humanistic.
Nomothetic – biological, behaviourist, SLT and cognitive.
