Idiographic and Nomothetic

Question 1

What does this debate centre around?

Answer 1

• This debate centres around the different approaches to psychological investigation, and if emphasis should be placed on individual cases as a means of understanding behaviour, or should be placed upon groups of people in order to formulate general laws of behaviour.

Question 2

What does idiographic approach focuses on?

Answer 2

• focuses on the individual and emphasis uniqueness and subjective experience.
• This approach to psychological investigation is rich and in depth and thus favours qualitative methods in research e.g. case studies.
• There is no attempt to compare the findings of this research to a larger group standard or norm.

Question 3

What is example of idigrpahic approach?

Answer 3

• For example, as part of the psychodynamic approach Freud used case studies such as the case of ‘Little Hans’ which contained descriptions from Hans’s father about Hans’ life.
• This meant that Freud focused on individual experience when explaining human behaviour.

Question 4

What is nomothetic approach?

Answer 4

• The nomothetic approach attempts to summarise the differences between people through generalisation.
• The main aim is to produce general laws of behaviour in order to control and predict future behaviour.
• This is based on the study of groups and the use of statistical/quantitative techniques.

Question 5

What is example of nomothetic approach?

Answer 5

An example of this, is seen in Piaget’s research after studying children he generalised his research to ‘all children’ by suggesting stages of cognitive development for all.

Question 6

What methods do nomothetic approach use?

Answer 6

Questionnaires and psychologists test

Include a large number of people and how similar they are to each toher

Question 7

A strength of idiographic approach provides rich data

Answer 7

• The idiograhpuc approach provides a complete global account of indiiviudal lile HM
• A single case may generate a hypothesis for further study (e.g case of HM in memory helped understanding that some procedural memories are more resistant to amnesia)
• Such findings from unique cases may reveal important insights about normal functioning which complete our overall understanding of behaviour

Question 8

A limitation of idiographic approach may lack its scientific rigour

Answer 8

• Supporters of idiographic approach may acknlowedge the subjective and restrictive nature of their work
• One cristism that Freud has many key concepts like Oedipus complex were largely developed from detailed study of single case of Little Hans
• Meaningful generalised cannot be made without fruther examples hich emans conclusions tend to be more subjective and open to bias

Question 9

A strength of nomothetic approach is the scientific value of research

Answer 9

• The process involved nomoethci research and to be more scientific mirroing those employed within the natural sciences
• These processes include standardised procedures , assessung reliability and validty using statistical analys to demonstrate significance
• This arguably gives the discipline of psychology greater scientific credibility

Question 10

A limitation of nomoethic arppoach si the loss of whole process

Answer 10

• The preoccupation within nomethic approach on general laws , prediction and control has been accused of losing the whole person within psychology
• Knowing 1% of lifetime risk of developing shizophrenia tells us little abbout what life is. In lab tests the memory of participants are tested as a set of scores than indidivudal people
• This means in search for general laws , the nomoethic approach may sometimes overlook importance of human experience