ideographic and nomothetic approach Flashcards
define idogrpahic
research that focusses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour.
define nomothetic
attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws
what dose the debate have consequences on
the type of research method psychologists use.
what dose the ideographic approach suggest
psychology should be the detailed study of one individual or one group
provide us with in-deapth understanding of human behaviour.
what dose the nomothetic approach suggest
psychology should be the study of larger groups, with the aim of discovering norms, universal principles or ‘laws’ of behaviour.
key points of the ideographic approach
participants groups often single or small. might include family of friends
focus on detail - understanding indivudals but generalisations may be made on findings.
Most idiographic research is qualitative
examples of research: idographic approach
example: Rogers’ concept of counselling based on work as a therapist. role of unconditional positive regard in self-development was based on his in-depth study of his clients.
freud - observation of individuals was basis for explanation of phobias : little hands case study.
key concepts of nomothetic approach
aim to generalise in order to create laws.
General principles of behaviour developed: then can be applied to individual situations, such as in drug therapy
most research is quantitative: seek to quantify humane behaviour
what two approaches support the nomothetic theory
behaviourist and biological approach.
what two approach support the ideographic theory
humanistic and psychodynamic approach.
example of research: nomothetic approach
Skinner studied animals to develop the general laws of learning.
Sperry’s split-brain research involved repeated testing and was, in part, the basis for understanding hemispheric lateralisation.
what is a key difference between the nomothetic and ideographic
how each relates to subjectivity and objectivity
what is objectivity.
very important to the nomothetic approach.
Laws of behaviour are only possible if methods of assessing people are standardised and objective.
ensures true replication
