idiographic and nomothetic approaches

Question 1

what is the idiographic approach?

Answer 1

• focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour
• suggests that psychology should the be study of individuals because, by obtaining lots of detailed information about that individual, we can understand human behaviour better

Question 2

what is the nomothetic approach?

Answer 2

• aims to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws
• suggests that psychology should be the study of large and varied groups to make generalisations about what is typical in different aspects of human behaviour

Question 3

describe the idiographic approach to psychological investigation

Answer 3

• number of pcs is small, often a single case (single individual, group, or institution)
• some research might include information from family, friends, or others, but the focus is on detail: what can we learn about this individual case?
• this does not mean that generalisations are not made, but the inital focus is about understanding the individual

Question 4

how can qualitative data be collected for idiographic research on depression?

Answer 4

• based on first-hand accounts from a small number of people (case study)
• participants would be interviewed in depth and focus may be on a particular facet of human behaviour, using a fairly unstructured interview
• such data is then analysed and emergent themes are identified
• conclusions may help other people going through similar experiences, or more widely, may help mental health professionals determine best practice

Question 5

how is the idiographic approach associated with the humanistic and psychodynamic approaches?

Answer 5

• rogers sought to explain the process of self-development including the role of unconditional positive regard
  > this was derived from in-depth conversations with clients in therapy
• freud’s careful observations of individuals were the basis of his explanations of human nature
  > case of little hans was used to describe how a phobia might develop

Question 6

describe the nomothetic approach to psychological investigation

Answer 6

• the main aim of the NA is generalisation to create ‘laws’
• creates general principles of behaviour which then could be applied in individual situations

Question 7

describe how quantitative research is collected in nomothetic research

Answer 7

• most closely fits with traditional models of the ‘scientific method’ in psychology
• hypotheses are formulated, samples of people are assessed in some way (eg. structured questionnaire, psychological tests)
• numerical data produced is analysed for its statistical significance

Question 8

how is the NA associated with behaviourist and biological approaches?

Answer 8

• skinner studied animals to develop general laws of learning
• his research looked at one aspect of behaviour in a few animals but the main aim was to establish general laws
• biological psychology may also use a small sample
  > eg. sperry’s split-brain research, which involved repeated testing, was the basis for understanding hemispheric lateralisation

Question 9

how is the nomothetic approach objective?

Answer 9

• laws of behaviour are only possible if methods of assessment are delivered in a standardised and objective way
• this ensures true replication occurs across samples of behaviour, removing the influence of bias

Question 10

how is the idiographic approach subjective?

Answer 10

• researchers working within the IA tend not to believe that objectivity in psychological research is possible
• it is people’s individual experience of their unqiue context that is important, rather than an underlying reality

Question 11

evaluation: IA contributes to NA

Answer 11

• IA uses in-depth qualitative methods of investigation which provides a global description of one invidiual
• this may complement the NA by shedding further light on general laws or challenging them
• eg. a single case may generate hypotheses for further study, such as the case of HM and memory
• cases like HM may reveal important insights about normal functioning which may contribute to our overall understanding
• therefore, even though the focus is on fewer individuals, the IA may still help form ‘scientific’ laws of behaviour

Question 12

evaluation: IA is still narrow and restrictive in nature

Answer 12

• meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples as this emans there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour
• methods associated with the IA, such as case studies, tend to be the least scientific in that conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher, so is open to bias
• therefore, it is difficult to built effective general theories of human behaviour in the complete absence of nomothetic research

Question 13

evaluation: both fit within the aims of science

Answer 13

• processes in nomothetic research are similar to those used in natural sciences
  > eg. estabilishing objectivity through standardisation, control and statistical testing
• researchers using IA also seek to objectify their methods
• eg. triangulation is used where findings from a range of studies using different qualitative methods are compared to increase their validity
• modern qualitative researchers are careful to reflect upon their own biases and preconceptions are part of the research process (reflexivity)
• therefore, both NA and IA raise psychology’s status as a science

Question 14

evaluation: NA loses understanding of the individual

Answer 14

• this is because it is preoccupied with general laws, prediction and control
• eg. knowing there is a 1% lifetime risk of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone who has been diagnosed with the disorder
• understanding the subjective experience of schizophrenia may prove useful when it comes to devising appropriate treatment options (eg.)
• therefore, in its search for generalities, the NA may sometimes fail to relate to experience

Question 15

evaluation: two approaches are distinct

Answer 15

• each is appropriate in different situations for different research aims
  > eg. attachment research, schaffer’s stages describe general stages of development (N) whereas case studies of extreme neglect highlight the subjective experience of never having formed an attachment (I)

Question 16

evaluation: two approaches are complementary

Answer 16

• there is a sense in which the approaches are just 2 ends of a continuum and it is better to use them in this way
• millon (1995) explain that when diagnosing personality disorders, clinicians begin with general nomoethic crietria, then use this to focus on the individual and their unique needs