idiographic and nomothetic approaches

Question 1

the idiographic approach

Answer 1

• focus on the individual and emphasises unique personal experience
• favours qualitative research methods, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and thematic analysis (they allow an in-depth insight)
• don’t seek to formulate laws or generalise results to others

Question 2

freud’s use of case studies

Answer 2

• he conducted detailed investigations into his patients lives to help them overcome their psychological disorders
• although freud tried to make generalisations from his case studies, they are still seen as idiographic as each persons disorder derived from their unique experiences

Question 3

give a strength of an idiographic approach
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Answer 3

the use of a case study is a powerful tool for evaluating psychological theories. for example, the case of patient kf exposed a limitation of the msm, providing evidence that our stm is made of at least 2 components (visual and auditory memory), not 1 as originally proposed. a single case study can lead to further research into a particular phenomenon, such as memory, which then contributes to the development of new theories which further our understanding of behaviour

Question 4

counter the previous point

Answer 4

although case studies can highlight flaws in psychological theories and lead to further research, the method to conducting them are often highly time consuming. for example, freud’s case study of little hans consisted of almost 150 pages of quotes from his father and detailed descriptions of events in his life. although freud creates universal theories of personality development during childhood, these were based on limited and unrepresentative case studies that would be discredited by multiple psychologists

Question 5

give a limitation of an idiographic approach
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Answer 5

the idiographic approach lacks the ability to establish general laws or predict human behaviour, limiting its practical value in diagnosing and treating psychological disorders. furthermore, psychologists criticise the idiographic approach as unscientific, its emphasis on in-depth data collection over making justifiable generalisations contradicts the central aim of science

Question 6

the nomothetic approach

Answer 6

• establish general laws based on studies of large groups of people
• use statistical (quantitative) techniques to analyse data, e.g. experiments, correlations, psychometric testing and other quantitative methods

Question 7

biological psychologists

Answer 7

• take a nomothetic approach when explaining psychological disorders such as depression and ocd
• they implicate biological factors and use biological therapies to treat all patients

Question 8

behaviourists

Answer 8

pavlov and skinner conducted animal studies to establish laws of learning to generalise to humans and other animals

Question 9

cognitive psychologists

Answer 9

atkinson and shiffrin developed general laws like the msm which they believed could be generalised to everyone

Question 10

social psychologists

Answer 10

milgram and asch created general conclusions that situational factors are responsible for obedience and conformity

Question 11

psychopathology

Answer 11

classification manuals classify people with psychological disorders based on specific symptoms

Question 12

give a strength of a nomothetic approach
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Answer 12

unlike the idiographic approach, the nomothetic approach is viewed as more scientific. it relies on quantitative methods, controlled measurement and the ability to predict behaviour, all of which are considered strengths. furthermore, its controlled methods allow for replication to assess the reliability of findings, contributing to psychology’s recognition as a scientific discipline. this approach utilises the development of theories and empirical testing, which are both key features of science

Question 13

give a limitation of a nomothetic approach
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Answer 13

some psychologists argue that the nomothetic approach focuses too much on quantitative data and statistical analysis, causing it to lose sight of the person as a whole. they also claim that this approach only provides a superficial explanation for human behaviour. for instance, milgrams research showed that 65% of participants fully obeyed an authority figure and administered a 450V electric shock when told to do so. however, these results don’t explain the specific reasons behind each persons obedience, which may vary hugely depending on individual circumstances

Question 14

counter the previous point

Answer 14

however, idiographic researchers argue that his findings apply to groups and not individuals. allport, who introduced the term idiographic, stated that only by understanding individuals can we accurately predict their behaviour. milgram’s research laid a foundation for social psychologists to further investigate why people obey authority

Question 15

a combined approach

Answer 15

• holt (1967) argues that separating idiographic and nomothetic approaches is flawed, and instead proposes that they complement (rather than contradict) each other
• for example, cognitive psychologists often develop general laws about cognitive processes (nomothetic) but also utilise idiographic methods like case studies
• many studies utilise both approaches, highlighting that the distinction between the 2 may not hold much significance
• psychologists should choose the method they employ based on the nature of the research question