Idiographic And Nomothetic

Question 1

Describe the debate

Answer 1

Idiographic (detail in single cases) or nomothetic (establish norms and laws)

Question 2

Describe the idiographic approach in psychology investigation

Answer 2

Small numbers of PPS in idiographic research and is often a single cases.

Qualitative research- eg. Research on depression would be First hand accounts from small numbers of participants (eg. Case study). Interviewed using unstructured interviews and then analysed to find common themes.

Question 3

Give an example of idiographic research in psychology

Answer 3

Associated with humanistic and psychodynamic psychology. Eg. Rodger’s research derived from therapy conversations. Freud observations of behaviour.

Question 4

Describe nomothetic research in psychology research

Answer 4

Main aim is to generalise to create laws and general principles of behaviour. Which can then be applied to individual situations.

Quantitative research- fits the scientific method. Hypothesis formulated, people/ animals tested on and numerical data produced and analysed for statistical significance.

Question 5

Give some examples of nomothetic research in psychology

Answer 5

Behaviourist and biological approaches

Eg. Skinner studied animals to create laws of behaviour.
Eg. Sperry split brain research

Question 6

Which approach is objective and which is nomothetic?

Answer 6

Objectivity- nomothetic
Subjectivity- idiographic

Question 7

Which approach is standardised and which is individual experience?

Answer 7

Standardisation- nomothetic
Idiographic- individual experience

Question 8

One strength of idiographic approach is that it is a complete account (and contributes to nomothetic approach) (AO3)

Answer 8

Idiographic uses in depth qualitative methods of investigation providing global description of one individual. May compliment nomothetic approach by shedding light on general laws or challenging them. Idiographic may still help form scientific laws.

Question 9

Counterpoint (AO3)

Answer 9

Supporters of idiographic approach should still acknowledge narrow and restricted nature of their work. Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples as no adequate baseline to compare behaviour.

Less scientific as well as it relies on subjectivity of researcher.

Question 10

Another strength is scientific credibility (AO3)

Answer 10

Both approaches fit with the aims of science. Nomothetic similar to natural sciences, establishing objectivity via standardisation. Idiographic to objectify methods eg. Triangulisation used to compare studies increasing validity.

Raise psychology’s status as a science