ISSUES AND DEBATES (IDIOGRAPHIC & NOMOTHETIC APPROACHES )

Question 1

Define the idiographic approach and give an example of research

Answer 1

This approach focuses on the individual and emphasise the unique personal experience of human nature providing insight into individual behaviour.

EG. Shallice and Warrington - Patient KF ( motorbike accident) . KF’s short term forgetting of auditory information was greater than his forgetting of visual suggesting STM consists of multiple components

Question 2

Define the Nomothetic approach and give an example of research

Answer 2

Psychologists who take this approach are concerned with establishing general laws, based on the study of large groups of people.

EG. The bio approach - takes a Nomothetic appr explaining psychological disorders eg. OCD and depression eg. neurotransmitters , responsible for disorders

The behaviourist appr - Pavlov and Skinner ( animals ) classical and operant conditioning could be generalised to humans.

Question 3

Evaluate this topic

Answer 3

strength- idiographic focuses on one individual suggesting that the focus on individuals can provide us with a more complete understanding.

Limit - it is time consuming both approaches based on lots of data about one person, this takes time. My be less efficient when it comes to data collection

LIMIT - False separation The idiographic approach ends up being nomothetic , argues that research should start as nomothetic then when laws are made be turnt to idiographic to focus on individuals . Suggests both laws should be used together.