Issues & Debates: Idiographic & Nomothetic Approaches

Question 1

What type of data is the nomothetic approach based on?

Answer 1

Quantitative

Question 2

The nomothetic approach aims to create …

Answer 2

General laws of human behaviour

Question 3

Which sampling technique is used more by the nomothetic approach

Answer 3

Random

Question 4

Which research methods are used by the nomothetic approaches

Answer 4

Lab experiments

Question 5

Name two approaches which take a nomothetic approach

Answer 5

Biological
Behavioural

Question 6

What does the idiographic approach suggest about people?

Answer 6

We are unique and we should study their subjective experience

Question 7

What type of data does the idiographic approach tend to use?

Answer 7

Qualitative

Question 8

Name methods used by the idiographic approach

Answer 8

Case study, unstructured interviews

Question 9

What is the aim of the idiographic approach?

Answer 9

To gain an insight into a person’s unique way of viewing the world

Question 10

Name an approach that uses a idiographic approach

Answer 10

Humanism

Question 11

What is one strength of an idiographic compared to a nomothetic approach?

Answer 11

More in-depth understanding of human experience

Question 12

Why is it not appropriate to argue for only using an idiographic or nomothetic approach?

Answer 12

They should be used together. We should create some general laws e.g.
nomothetic but also consider human experience idiographic

Question 13

Why does Holy argue these two approaches are a false separation?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Why do critics argue that idiographic approaches could lack internal validity?

Answer 14

Due to the absence of scientific methods.

Question 15

Why are we more able to create general laws of human behaviour through a nomothetic approach?

Answer 15

The nomothetic approach uses large samples allowing us to generalise behaviour to the wider population.

Question 16

Why would Freud’s work be considered to be idiographic?

Answer 16

Much of Freud’s work involved the use of the case study method, for example Little Hans.

Question 17

Why would the humanistic approach be considered idiographic?

Answer 17

Rogers and Maslow were interested in documenting the conscious experience of the self. They describe themselves as antiscientific and are more conscerned about the unique experience of the individual rather than creating ‘general laws of behaviour.’