Nomothetic V Idiographic

Question 1

What is meant by the nomothetic approach?

Answer 1

Attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles ad universal laws.

Question 2

What is meant by the idiographic approach?

Answer 2

Focuses on individual cases as a means of understanding behaviour.

Question 3

According to the nomothetic approach, what are the three general laws?

Answer 3

1. Classifying people into groups e.g attachment type
2. Establishing principles of behaviour e.g classical conditioning
3. Establishing dimensions e.g locus of control

Question 4

What type of data does the nomothetic approach use?

Answer 4

Quantitative

Question 5

What type of data does the idiographic approach use?

Answer 5

Qualitative

Question 6

Why does the idiographic approach reject the use of scientific methods?

Answer 6

• Behaviours shouldn’t be generalised as we’re all unique.
• Only through understanding individuals separately can psychologists make predictions about how people behave.

Question 7

What are three examples of idiographic approaches?

Answer 7

Humanistic, psychodynamic (both) and cognitive (both)

Question 8

What are three examples of nomothetic approaches?

Answer 8

Behaviourism, biological and SLT.

Question 9

What is one limitation of the idiographic approach?

Answer 9

1. Too narrow/restricted view.
   Freuds concepts of Oedipus complex largely based on ‘little hans’.
   Meaningful generalisations can’t be made without further examples/evidence.
   Additionally, case studies rely on interpretation of researcher.
   Therefore, lack reliability + validity due to nature of examining unique cases.

Question 10

What is one limitation of the nomothetic approach?

Answer 10

1. Accused of ‘losing the whole person’.

For example, Milgram’s research found that 65% of participants obeyed an authority figure and inflicted a 450-volt electric shock because they were ordered to do so. However, the results fail to provide an explanation of why each person obeyed, and there may have been very different circumstances that led to the obedience found in each participant.
Shows subjective experience of pp is ignored + shows approach is too focused on control and prediction. Therefore, approach ignores individual differences between humans.

Question 11

What is a strength of idiographic v nomothetic?

Answer 11

1. May be better to combine both approaches.
   Cognitive psychologists typically take nomothetic approach however, take idiographic approach when using case studies.
   Shows distinction between both approaches is meaningless as most of psychology utilises both.
   Therefore, psychologists should employ both approaches.