Idiographic Flashcards
What does idiographic study focus on?
Detailed study of one individual or one group to provide an in-depth understanding.
How does the idiographic approach differ from the nomothetic approach?
The idiographic approach focuses on individual cases to understand behaviour, rather than formulating general laws of behaviour.
What is the focus of qualitative methods in idiographic research?
Insight into human behaviour by studying unique individuals, emphasizing quality of information over numerical data.
What methods are commonly used in idiographic research?
Unstructured interviews, case studies, and thematic analysis.
What is an example of an idiographic study in psychodynamic research?
Freud’s case study of Little Hans, which included 150 pages of quotes from Hans’ father and Freud’s interpretations.
Although Freud generalized, the study is still idiographic as it draws on unique experiences.
What does humanistic psychology emphasize in idiographic research?
Studying the whole person and understanding the world from that person’s perspective, valuing their subjective experience.
What did Allport (1961) believe about the idiographic perspective?
He believed it could provide more insight into human behaviour and personality than personality tests like the EPQ, which only offer statistical information.
What research method did Piaget use in his idiographic studies?
Longitudinal studies of cognitive development of his children, using frequent notes and flexible clinical interviews for detailed understanding.
How is research typically carried out?
Research is carried out by testing a small sample.
What does the research process involve?
It involves the collection of a large amount of data about a small group or individual from various different methods.
What methods are used in the analysis of research?
Analysis involves qualitative methods, such as interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and journals.
What is the purpose of using qualitative methods in research?
Qualitative methods inform about the precise nature of negative thoughts, enabling greater insight.
