Issues & Debates: Idiographic & Nomothetic Approaches Flashcards
What type of data is the nomothetic approach based on?
Quantitative
The nomothetic approach aims to create …
General laws of human behaviour
Which sampling technique is used more by the nomothetic approach
Random
Which research methods are used by the nomothetic approaches
Lab experiments
Name two approaches which take a nomothetic approach
Biological
Behavioural
What does the idiographic approach suggest about people?
We are unique and we should study their subjective experience
What type of data does the idiographic approach tend to use?
Qualitative
Name methods used by the idiographic approach
Case study, unstructured interviews
What is the aim of the idiographic approach?
To gain an insight into a person’s unique way of viewing the world
Name an approach that uses a idiographic approach
Humanism
What is one strength of an idiographic compared to a nomothetic approach?
More in-depth understanding of human experience
Why is it not appropriate to argue for only using an idiographic or nomothetic approach?
They should be used together. We should create some general laws e.g.
nomothetic but also consider human experience idiographic
Why does Holy argue these two approaches are a false separation?
Despite humans being unique there are similarities and most idiographic will go on to create nomothetic approaches e.g. humanism and the core conditions of counselling
