Idiographic Vs Nomothetic

Question 1

What is the nomothetic approach

Answer 1

Uses large samples and makes general laws and principles to apply to people

Question 2

What is an idiographic approach

Answer 2

Focuses on individuals (case studies) to find out more in depth. Then tires to apply to all people

Question 3

Why is these against each other

Answer 3

• common complaint is that it’s not very scientific
• people argue that psychology never comes up with any general laws of behaviour
• cannot predict human behaviour

Question 4

Examples of nomothetic studies

Answer 4

Biological approach
- assumes that the cause of behaviour is from our biological structure
Cognitive
- assumes that the same mental processes apply across the population
Behaviourist
- apply cause and effect laws to explain behaviour in general

Question 5

Examples of the idiographic approach

Answer 5

Psychodynamic
- involves investigating how an individual experiences the world through the use of case studies
Humanistic
- heavily focused on the individuals and their drive for self-actualisation

Question 6

Evaluation for nomothetic approach

Answer 6

:) research methods used are controlled, objective and scientific. Can be scientifically tested
:( lack ecological validity and so can’t be reliable or or generalised to real life
:( individual differences are ignored. Less useful for explaining behaviour that doesn’t fit in with the norms of the general laws

Question 7

Evaluation of the idiographic approach

Answer 7

:) focuses on the individual, so can give a more complete explanation
:( fewer people are studied, tricky to generalise to the whole population
:) detailed studies of individual cases can help to develop nomothetic laws