issues and debates: idiographic and nomothetic Flashcards
what is idiographic
psychologists who take on this approach
focus on the individual
emphasise the unique personal experiences of human nature
how do we remember what idiogrpahic is
i for individual
idios means
own/private
what is nomothetic
psychs who take on this approach are concerned with establishing general laws they can apply based on teh study of large groups of people
what does nomo mena
law
what type of research/methods of investigation does idiogrpahic approach use
qualitative :
case studies
thematic analysis
unstructured interview
what is a strenght of idiographic methods of investigation
provide in depth insigth into the indiviudas behaviour
unlike the nomothetic approach the idiogrpahic approach doesnt
seek to formulate laws
generalise results to others
why are case studies a pwerufl rresearch methods
single case study can highlight a flaw within a theory and significantly undermine other research
give an example of case study undermingin research
kf - motorbike accident -
ST forgetting auditory info greater than forgetting of visual info suggesting
ST memory must consist of multiple componets
this undermined MSM as suggest there are seperate STM stores - so said you is a lie
nomothetic research is more centred around
quantitative methods of research such as
experiments
correlaional research
psychometric testing
what are the main aims of nomo approach
be scientific
apply genral finidngs to tother people
give exampes of nomo appraoch
biological approach - explainig psycholgical disroders such as ocd/depression
they typially pinpoint bio factors for example a nt being repsosible for disorder such as serotinin
and use biologicla therapies such as drug to treat all patients
behaviourak appriach skinner conducted experiemtn with aniams in order to establish laws of learning cc/oc that could be generalied to humns and non human animals
so theyve applied laws we find in animals to humans
whihc approaches use both
cog and psychodyanmic
what are our eal points for nomo
scientific nature- use of quantitative methods, controlled replication
application treatments - biological psycholgoists w ocd , drug treatments
what are our eval points for idio
unscientific natue - use of qualitative methods, uncontrolled , unable to replicate
power of case studies - kf , generate further research
explain eval nomo - scientific nature
approach is considered x
the use of experimetnal x methods, x x and the ability ot x behaviour are all x of this x
this matter cause x methods allow psychologists to x research to exmaine x of findings whihc has x psychology x itself as a x x
approach is considered scientici
the use of experimetnal quantitative methods, contorlled measurement and the ability ot rpedict behaviour are all stregths of this approach
this matter cause contorlled methods allow psychologists to replicate research to exmaine reliablity of findings whihc has helped psychology establish itself as a scientific discipline
explain eval - application to tratments
as nomothetic approahc is viewed as x its useful for x nad x behaviour
e.g x psyhcologists take a x approach when examining and claim its caused by higher lvls of x and lwoer levels of x
so x therapies are x on the basis of x research and work by x a x imbalance
this matter becuase xxxs are used to treat OCD and increase a x and uptake of x
this reduces x assocaited with OCD helping it to x hte x of pepoele x from this x
which has come about as a result of xresearch
as nomothetic approahc is viewed as scentific its useful for contorllig nad predicitng behaviour
e.g bio psychs take a nomothetic approach when examining OCD and claim its caused by higher lvls of dopamine and lwoer levels of serotonin
so drug therapies are devloped on the basis of nomo research and work by readressing a biologicla imbalance
this matter becuase SSRIs are used to treat OCD and increase a ailaibitly and uptake of serotnin
this reduces anxiety assocaited with OCD helping it to imporve hte lives of pepoele suffering from this condition
which has come about as a result of nomothetic research
eval idio - power of case studies
strenght of idio grpahic approach and the x x method of research is that it is a x x for x psychological x
case of xx exposed limitatino of xxx by provdiign x our xxx comprised of at least x components ( visual and auditory) not c as stated by x and x
x as sngle case study can generate further x into a particular x
e.g mem
which contirbutes to x of x x
higlighting a x of odio approaches to psychologial investigation
strenght of idio grpahic approach and the case stuyd method of research is that it is a powerful tool for evaluating psychological theoruies
case of KF exposed limitatino of mmm by provdiign evidence our STM comties of at least 2 components ( visual and auditory) not one as stated by atkinson and shiffrin
consequently as sngle case study can generate further research into a particular phenomenon
e.g mem
which contirbutes to development of new thoeries
higlighting a strnegh t of odio approaches to psychologial investigation
a03 - unscientiifif canture
been criticised for its x nature
the emphasis of x x data collection and the x of arriving at a x generalisations x the x x of any x science : to explain tthe most x in the x possible x so phenomenon can be x and ultimatley x. Research x that dont x these x can seem scientifically x
been criticised for its unscientific nature
the emphasis of in depth data collection and difficulties of arriving at a justifiable generalisations contradicts the central purpose of any mature science : o explain tthe most variatin in the fewest possible terms so phenomenon can be predicted and ultimatley controlled. Research practices that dont address these goals can seem scientifically pointless
