Idiographic and Nomothetic

Question 1

What is idiographic approach?

Answer 1

Understanding behaviour through studying individuals cases.

Question 2

What is nomothetic?

Answer 2

Understanding behaviour through developing general laws that apply to all people.

Question 3

What are examples of idiographic approaches?

Answer 3

Psychodynamic

Humanistic

Question 4

What are examples of nomothetic approach?

Answer 4

Biological, Behaviourist, Cognitive approach

Question 5

What are characteristics of an idiographic approach?

Answer 5

Single approach, Individual (case study), Not universal laws of behaviour, No use of stats test, Rejects scientific method.

Question 6

What are characteristics of nomothetic approach?

Answer 6

Universal laws of behaviour, Study large groups - through experiments, Behaviour is generalisable, Use of stats test.

Question 7

What does an idiographic approach rejecting scientific methods mean|?

Answer 7

• Should study individual, not groups
• Shouldn’t be generalised as we are all unique
• Qualitative data

Question 8

How is the psychodynamic approach an idiographic approach?

Answer 8

• Can’t generalise childhoods.
• Freud studies individuals at first (little Hans) then uses nomothetic when generalising behaviour (11 Vietnamese women)

Question 9

How is the humanistic approach an idiographic approach?

Answer 9

• Self-actualisation can’t be generalised.

- Focuses on the individual and not applying it to groups.

Question 10

What are strengths of an idiographic approach?

Answer 10

• Gain detailed and informative descriptions of behaviour.
• Can uncover causes for behaviour not identified using nomothetic.
• Develop a holistic understanding of individual.
• Can provide hypotheses for future scientific studies.

Question 11

What are disadvantages of using idiographic approach?

Answer 11

• Cannot generalise to wider population (not universal laws + can’t predict behaviour)
• Methods are subjective, flexible and unstandardised so replication, prediction and control of behaviour is difficult.

Question 12

What are the negatives of an idiographic approach not providing a prediction?

Answer 12

• Doesn’t benefit psychologists when developing drugs for conditions.
• Severe limitation.
• Too time consuming + cost.

Question 13

How is the biological approach a nomothetic approach?

Answer 13

Takes a nomothetic approach when explaining psychological disorders, such as OCD and Depression. Typically pinpoint biological factors such as neurotransmitters.

Question 14

How is the behavioural approach nomothetic?

Answer 14

Pavlov + Skinner looked at animals in order to establish laws of learning (cc,oc) that could be generalised to humans.

Question 15

What are strengths of nomothetic approach?

Answer 15

• Can be generalised to wider population.

- Methods are objective, measurable and can be verified - predictable and replicable.

Question 16

What are limitations of a nomothetic approach?

Answer 16

• Generalised laws and principles may not apply to individual.
• Understanding is often superficial.