nomothetic & idiographic approach Flashcards
Define the nomothetic approach.
Seeks to establish general laws of behaviour by studying groups of people.
describe the nomothetic approach.
Relies on scientific methods like lab experiments for controlled investigations.
Utilises large sample sizes to produce statistically robust quantitative data.
Examples include Eysenck’s personality scale (1976) and studies like Adriaanse et al (2011), both using standardised measures on large groups.
Give two advantages of the nomothetic approach.
Allows generalisations about behaviour across populations.
Strengthens psychology’s scientific claim by identifying norms (e.g. IQ) and predicting behaviours (e.g. post-natal depression).
Give two limitations of the nomothetic approach.
Unable to explain the subjective experiences of individuals.
Samples might not always be representative or large enough to form generalisable conclusions.
Give three theories that follow the nomothetic approach.
Biological approach - seeks to portray the basis principles of how the brain and body work.
Behaviourist - produced general laws of behaviour (classical and operant conditioning). Their research may not have involved thousands of human ptps but they were seeking one set of rules for all animals.
Cognitive psychology - aim to develop general laws which apply to all people such as understanding typical memory process.
Define the idiographic approach.
Focuses on understanding the unique, subjective experiences of individuals.
Describe the idiographic approach.
Prefers qualitative methods like case studies for in-depth understanding.
Uses small samples, often a single ptp, to gather rich and insightful data.
Examples include Freud’s psychodynamic theory and longitudinal studies like the case of HM.
Give two advantages of the idiographic approach.
Provides holistic insights into individuals, aiding therapeutic approaches like psychotherapy.
Reinstates the individual as the focus of psychological approach.
Give two limitations of the idiographic approach.
Unable to generalise findings due to small, restricted sample sizes.
Subjective methods may suffer from biases like researcher or confirmation bias.
Give an example of research that follows the idiographic approach.
Rogers - “Q-sort”. Subject is given a large set of cards with a self-evaluative statement. Asked to sort into piles. The no. of cards can be varied as can the number of piles and type of question.
Idiographic as the view is ultimately that there are many different personalities as there are people.
Give an example of a theory that follows the idiographic approach.
Humanism. Only approach that is purely idiographic, looks at individual experiences as unique.
What did Millon & Davis (1996) suggest research should do to combine both approaches?
Start with a nomothetic approach and one general ‘laws’ have been established, research can then move to a more idiographic approach.
Give two examples of how the idiographic and nomothetic approaches can be used together.
Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation suggests that extreme maternal deprivation is irreversible. This theory was developed using a nomothetic approach. However, the case of Koluchova twins demonstrates that in this single, idiographic, case - maternal deprivation was overcome. Bowlby’s theory can therefore be challenged.
Freud used idiographic methods to study people, but also used those insights to produce general laws about human development in his theory of personality.
Give three examples of research methods that follow a nomothetic approach.
- Experiments.
- Correlation.
- Psychometric testing.
Give three examples of research methods that follow an idiographic approach.
- Case studies.
- informal interviews.
- unstructured observation.
