Idiographic Vs Nomothetic Flashcards
What does idiographic mean
It focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour
What does nomothetic mean
Attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws
Does idiographic make comparisons
No
Does nomothetic make comparisons
Yes
Features of idiographic research
-qualitative
-small sample size
-subjectivity is important
-based on individual experiences
What approaches is idiographic associated with
Humanistic and psychodynamic
Features of nomothetic research
-quantitative data
-seen as scientific
-larger sample sizes
-objectivity is more important
What approaches is nomothetic associated with
Behaviourist and biological
Idiographic strength
In depth qualitative methods provide a global account of the individual
Compliments nomothetic by challenging general laws
Nomothetic strength
Methods are more scientific, mirroring natural sciences
Standardised conditions using quantitative data and statistical analysis
Greater scientific credibility
Idiographic limitation
Narrow and restrictive nature, data is produced from case studies
Needs to have caution when generalising to target population
Nomothetic limitation
Focus on general laws, prediction, and control have been accused of losing the whole person
Generalisation may override human experience
