Idiographic vs nomothetic Flashcards
what is idiographic?
study of individual and unique insights into human behaviour
what are some methods used in idiographic?
unstructured interview, case studies, thematic analysis
what are some examples of idiographic
little hans, memory - HM, humanistic approach - client centered therapy
what is the nomothetic?
studies of large people to develop generic laws and theories based on human behaviour
what are some examples of the nomothetic?
behavioural - classical and operant conditioning, biological - how body and brain work
cognitive - MSM
Strengths of the idiographic approach
- rich detailed data
- holistically viewed
- reveals insights
weaknesses of the idiographic approach
not scientific
time consuming
general laws that may not apply
strengths of the nomothetic approach
scientific
helps wider population
make predictions about human behaviour
weaknesses of the nomothetic approach
no allowance for free will (deterministic)
reductionist and over simplifys complex behaviour
loss of a sense of a whole person
examples of complementary
cognitive
draws nomothetic models MSM
but uses idiographic case studies HM KF
which type is humanistic?
idiographic
which type is psychodynamic?
both
relies heavily on idiographic case studies but draws nomothetic laws
