ID: Idiographic Vs Nomothetic Flashcards
What is the debate?
Should psychologists research groups or individuals
Define Idiographic
-An approach to understand behaviour by focusing on individuals and uniqueness
-Subjective
-qualitative data
Define Nomothetic
-An Approach to understand behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws
-objective
-quantitative data
Give examples of idio app
-Case studies
-unstructured interviews
-humanistic approach
-psychodynamic - little hans
-conclusion can help others
Give examples of nomo app
-beh/bio/cog app
-numerical data
-structured interviews
-pavlov applied r to all from animals
-gen to wider pop
-bio brain scans
How do the two overlap each other
Studying one individual can lead to group generalisation
Give an example of when they overlap
MSM - Atkinson and Shiffrin, applied model to all but did KF case study
One strength of idio app (contribution)
-Contribution to Nomo app
-Due to in-depth qual methods sheds light on general principles
-e.g HM led to understanding normal functioning.
-Although focus is on individuals still helps form scientific laws
Lim idio (restriction)
-Idio has restriction on nature of work
-subjective interpretation = open bias
-due to case studies producing least scientific concs, cant make theories without further examples etc
-need Nomo to build gen theories
Strength of both (science)
Both align with aims of science
-nomo uses stat testing, control and standardisation
-idio = triangulation
-increases validity
-raises status of psych
Lim of Nomo (loss of individual)
-Nomo focuses on group and gen laws
-prediction and control = accusation of losing person
-1% risk of developing schiz tells us little about experience
-understanding subjective experience may be useful
-nomo may fail to relate to experience
