Idiographic vs Nomothetic

Question 1

Where does the term ‘idiographic’ come from?

Answer 1

• The term ‘idiographic comes from the Greek word ‘idios’, which means ‘own’ or ‘private’.

Question 2

Define Idiographic

Answer 2

• Psychologists who take an idiographic approach focus on the individual and emphasise the unique personal experience of human nature.
• Use qualitative methods (e.g. case studies).

Question 3

Define Nomothetic

Answer 3

• Psychologists who take a nomothetic approach are concerned with establishing general laws, based on the study of large groups of people.
• Use quantitative methods.

Question 4

Where does the term ‘nomothetic’ come from?

Answer 4

• The term ‘nomothetic’ comes from the Greek word ‘nomos’, which means ‘law’.

Question 5

Idiographic research

Answer 5

Shallice and Warrington (1970) examined the case of Patient KF, who experienced a motorbike accident.
- KF’s short-term forgetting of auditory information was greater than his forgetting of visual information, suggesting that short-term memory (STM) consists of multiple components.

Question 6

What is nomothetic research?

Answer 6

• It is the main approach within scientifically oriented psychology.

Methods of investigation include:
- Experiments.
- Correlational research.
- Psychometric testing (personality).

Question 7

Example of nomothetic research….

Answer 7

The Biological Approach:
- Biological psychologists take a nomothetic approach when explaining psychological disorders, such as OCD and depression.
- They typically pinpoint biological factors, such as neurotransmitters, that are responsible for such disorders and use biological therapies (e.g. drugs) to treat all patients.