Idiographic And Nomothetic

Question 1

What does idiographic mean

Answer 1

Approach to research that focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour

Question 2

What does nomothetic mean

Answer 2

An approach that attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws

Question 3

Examples of idiographic

Answer 3

Humanistic psychology as more concerned with investigating unique experience than producing general laws of behaviour, psychodynamic approach (Freud’s use of case studies)

Question 4

Examples of nomothetic

Answer 4

Approaches that are reductionist and determinist and employ scientific methods of investigation eg research conducted by behaviourist/cognitive/biological psychologists