Issues And Debates: Idiographic and nomothetic approaches

Question 1

Define Idiographic approach

Answer 1

People should be studied as unique identities and we should not generalise the findings

• case studies
• unstructured interviews
• humanistic approach

Question 2

Define Nomothetic approach

Answer 2

Establishing general laws of behaviour that can be generalised to large groups

• Experiments
• Correlational Research
• Behaviourist, Cognitive and Biological

Question 3

Evaluation of Idiographic approach

Answer 3

+ provide great detail which may add to our overall knowledge

• Narrow, restricted nature of work
• case studies tend to be less scientific

Question 4

Evaluation of Nomothetic approach

Answer 4

\+ Scientific, standardisation
\+ Allows s to establish norms
- Losing the whole person 
- Subjective experiences ignored 
- overlooks richness of human experience