Idiographic vs Nomothetic

Question 1

Outline the idiographic approach.

Answer 1

Derived from the Greek ‘idios’ meaning ‘private or personal’.​

Focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour.​

Interested in people as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.​

Links to humanism, not applicable to use scientific methods to study human behaviour as it is so subjective.

Question 2

Outline the nomothetic approach.

Answer 2

Derived from the Greek ‘nomos’ meaning ‘law’.​

The nomothetic approach attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.​

Provide a benchmark against which people can be compared, classified and measured and on the basis of which, likely behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.​

Question 3

Case studies are a form of idiographic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of case studies.

Answer 3

Advantages:
Allows for an in-depth analysis.
Very personal.

Disadvantages:
Cannot be applicable.
May be subject to researcher bias.
Cannot be replicated.

Question 4

Unstructured interviews are a form of idiographic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of unstructured interviews.

Answer 4

Advantages:
More of a conversation.
Less-pressured environment that ignores potential hierarchies.

Disadvantages:
Time consuming and requires good inter-personal skills from both the researcher and the participant.

Question 5

Open-ended questionnaires are a form of idiographic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of open-ended questionnaires.

Answer 5

Advantages:
Free flowing and non-restrictive.

Disadvantages:
Participants may suffer fatigue if the questionnaire is too long, questions could be skipped.

Question 6

Experiments are a form of nomothetic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of experiments.

Answer 6

Advantages:
More control.
Lots of participants.

Disadvantages:
Can be expensive.
Time-consuming.

Question 7

Close-ended questionnaires are a form of nomothetic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of close-ended questionnaires.

Answer 7

Advantages:
Cheap and fast.
More objective and scientific.
Allows for the collection of lots of data.

Disadvantages:
Doesn’t allow for in-depth study.
PPs may be constrained to certain answers.

Question 8

Statistical analysis is a form of nomothetic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of statistical analysis.

Answer 8

Advantages:
Quantitative data.
More objective.

Disadvantages:
May treat some abnormalities as a disadvantage, when they are actually a strength, e.g. IQ.

Question 9

Controlled observations are a form of nomothetic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of controlled observations.

Answer 9

Advantages:
More control.
Objective.
Allows for cause-effect relationships.

Disadvantages:
Participants may behave differently when they are being observed.

Question 10

Meta-analyses are a form of nomothetic research method. Outline advantages and disadvantages of meta-analyses.

Answer 10

Advantages:
Considers many studies.
Allows for the inclusion of many participants.

Disadvantages:
Time-consuming.
In its extreme it could lead to stereotyping.
It is secondary data, so they may have operationalised variables differently.

Question 11

How is Freud both idiographic and nomothetic?

Answer 11

Freud (idiographic):
Freud’s case studies are viewed as an idiographic approach as each person’s psychological disorder derived from their unique childhood experiences.

Freud (nomothetic):
Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development is a nomothetic theory as Freud sought to discover a common process shared by all humans.

Question 12

Where does the cognitive approach sit within the idiographic-nomothetic debate? Why?

Answer 12

Middle.

Features many case studies, but these have had wider applications. There is cognitive neuroscience. Ideas of schemas, they are personal.

Question 13

Where does the biological approach sit within the idiographic-nomothetic debate? Why?

Answer 13

Strong nomothetic.

It generalises findings to everyone, not focusing on an individual. Studies are mainly objective.

Question 14

Where does humanism sit within the idiographic-nomothetic debate? Why?

Answer 14

Far idiographic.

All about the individual. Uniqueness to be understood.

Question 15

Where does neo-behaviourism sit within the idiographic-nomothetic debate? Why?

Answer 15

Strong nomothetic.

Elements of personal mental processes. Abilities to act upon stimuli.

Question 16

Where does behaviourism sit within the idiographic-nomothetic debate? Why?

Answer 16

Far behaviourism.

Universal law of ‘tabula rasa’. Everyone behaves in a certain way.

Question 17

Where does the psychodynamic approach sit within the idiographic-nomothetic debate? Why?

Answer 17

Middle.

Uses only case studies, but these are then applied more widely.

Question 18

What did Radford and Kirby state in 1975?

Answer 18

Stated that applications of the nomothetic approach in psychology have produced three board types of general law:

Question 19

Outline general law one.

(Radford and Kirby)

Answer 19

1.) Classifying people into groups, e.g. Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5) classifying people suffering from psychological disorders​.

E.g. Ainsworth, Main and Solomon: Attachment categories.

Question 20

Outline general law two.

(Radford and Kirby)

Answer 20

2.) Establishing dimensions of behaviour that can be applied to people in general, e.g. conformity studies​.

E.g. Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo: Generally applied studies.

Question 21

Outline general law three.

(Radford and Kirby)

Answer 21

3.) Establishing dimensions along which people can be placed and compared, e.g. IQ scores​.

E.g. F-scale, Rotter (locus of control).