idiographic and nomothetic approaches Flashcards
1
Q
what is the idiographic approach?
A
- involves the study of individuals and unique insights each individual gives us about human behaviour
- qualitative - focus is gaining insights into human behaviour by studying unique individuals in-depth
- quality of info > quantity
- subjective exp
2
Q
what is the nomothetic approach?
A
- involves study of a large number of people
- seeks to make generalisations or develop laws/theories about human behaviour - also goal of the scientific approach
- quantitative - based on numbers - central tendency, dispersion, graphs etc
- objective knowl
3
Q
what is objective vs subjective?
A
- laws of behaviour only possible if methods of assessment delivered in standardised + objective way ensuring replication across samples of behaviour avoiding bias
- peoples individuals experience of unique context is important > underlying reality ‘out there’ waiting for discovery
4
Q
what are examples of idiographic research?
A
- humanistic and psychodynamic approaches - ex freud case study of little hans
- observed child through dreams, therapy etc to learn in detail his fear of horses and reasoning behind it
5
Q
what are examples of nomothetic research?
A
- behaviourist and biological approaches
- like skinners box where multiple mice where observed on specifically conditioning and their response to stimuli to establish a general law on classical conditioning
6
Q
evaluate idiograpghic and nomothetic
A
7
Q
how is providing a superficial understanding of human behaviour a limitation of the nomothetic approach?
A
Milgram’s research found that 65% of participants obeyed an authority figure and inflicted a 450-volt electric shock because they were ordered to do so. However, the results fail to provide an explanation of why each person obeyed, and there may have been very different circumstances that led to the obedience found in each participant
