Idiographic and nomothetic

Question 1

What is the idiographic approach?

Answer 1

Approach to research that focuses more on the individual, rather than aiming to formulate general laws.

Question 2

What type of data does the idiographic approach produce?

Answer 2

Qualitative

Question 3

How does the idiographic approach produce qualitative data?

Answer 3

Often using unstructured interviews.

Question 4

What are 2 examples of the idiographic approach?

Answer 4

Humanistic and psychodynamic.

Question 5

What is the nomothetic approach?

Answer 5

Aims to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.

Question 6

What type of data does the nomothetic approach produce?

Answer 6

Quantitative

Question 7

How does the nomothetic approach produce quantitative data?

Answer 7

Often using structured questionnaires.

Question 8

What are 2 examples of nomothetic approaches?

Answer 8

Behaviourist and biological.

Question 9

What does ‘objective vs subjective’ mean in relation to the idiographic and nomothetic approaches?

Answer 9

• Nomothetic: based on objectivity: laws can only be made if methods of assessment are standardised.
• Idiographic: doesn’t believe in objectivity, people’s unique experience is more important than an unknown reality.

Question 10

Strength of idiographic approach = Contributes to nomothetic approach.

Answer 10

• Uses in-depth qualitative methods to provide info on one person.
• E.G = research on a case study may generate a hypothesis for further study.
• Even though focus is on individuals, could help form ‘scientific laws’.

Question 11

Limitation of idiographic approach = Narrow and restricted nature of work.

Answer 11

• Meaningful generalisations can’t be made without further examples, no baseline to compare behaviour.
• Methods used in idiographic approach are less scientific, case studies.
• Difficult to make general theories about behaviour without the nomothetic approach.

Question 12

Strength of both approaches = Fit with the aims of science.

Answer 12

• Nomothetic: methods are similar to those used in natural sciences.
• Idiographic: seek to objectify their methods, increased validity.
• Both approaches raise psychology’s status as a science.

Question 13

Limitation of nomothetic approach = Loss of understanding of the individual.

Answer 13

• Nomothetic: ‘loses whole person’ due to focus on general laws.
• Need to understand someone’s subjective experience to make treatment options.
• May fail to relate to ‘experience’.