DEBATES - IDIOGRAPHIC vs NOMOTHETIC Flashcards
(12 cards)
what is a nomothetic approach
a nomothetic approach involves studying a sample in order to formulate general laws/principles of behaviour
• using the findings to generate or substantiate general laws/models of behaviour; make inferences about the wider population/make generalisations; make predictions
objective as assessments are standardisesd and tend not to be affected by bias
more in line w/ science and more reductionist
goves statistical norms for comparison
research uses large samples and quantitative methods (eg. experiments) to collect data thats easier to submit for statistical analysis
eg. Milgram tested a sample of participants to propose his theory of situational obedience
eg. Ainsworth tested infants using the Strange Situation to propose three attachment types.
what is an idiographic approach
the study of human behaviour by focusing on individuals and their differences and the uniqueness of their experiences
Qualitative data collection is favoured as this is more in depth rather than just numerical scores for tests
look at the persons subjective emotions and experinces
more holistic as look at look at a range of factors to form a complete view of the person
Psychologists who follow idiographic approaches avoid universal generalisations.
eg. humanistic psychology Idiographic Approaches contrast with nomothetic approaches.
example 1 - idiographic approach - humanistic
carl rogers
maslow
these researchers take a phenomenological approach and focus on the individual’s conscious experience of self
theorists in this field describe themselves as anti-scientific
concepts used include the hierarchy of needs and CCT
example 2 - idiographic apprach - psychodynamic
freud
a case study described a 5yr old boy w/ fear of being bitten by a horse
thought to stem from boy seeing horse collapse and die in street
this was interpreted as the boy’s fear of being castrated from his father (as the boy loved his mother)
example 1 - nomothetic approach - types of law
- classifying ppl into groups (DSM - general laws abt mental disorders to classify ppl according to their symptoms eg. sz)
- establishing dimensions that can be used to assess ppl and compare them (normal distribution curve - plotted along curve to see how they compare to general pop, central line = avg/mean for pop, so compare ppl eg. IQ)
- establishing principles of behav that can be applied to ppl in general (behaviourism - CC = been used to exp human behav like forming attachment and acquiring a phobia - both maintained through OC) (biol approach - biol treat/exp OCD - neurotransmitters and Tulving used PET scans to locate episodic and semantic memories in diff parts of the prefrontal cortex)
how can idiographic case studies link w/ nomothetic approaches
case studies can identify particular details that challenge what a general law/ nomothetic theory says
case studies can identify particular details suitable for further nomothetic research to make general laws about groups of ppl
–> they can be used together, they compliment each other
example 1 - how idio and nomo approaches compliment each other - attachment
case studies eg. genie and kulochova twins have added detailed insight which is used as well as bowlby’s theory to understand factors that affect dev
example 2 - how idio and nomo approaches compliment each other - psychodynamic approach
idio case studies = used to make general (nomo) laws abt behav eg. many ppl use defence mechanisms, the unconscious has an important role influencing behav
the psychosexual stages of dev are general laws abt dev but a person may have individual different exp so devel diff
AO3: idio vs nomo debate: strength: scientific credibility
strength of nomo side of debate
sci methods
research such as asch and milgram = standardised procedures
increasing replicability
quantitative data = produced = use objective stat analysis = increasing internal validity and sci cred
CONTRASTINGLY the idio approach = less sci = more subjective data = qualitative nature of the results = small sample sizes = unstructured interviews = harder to replicate
AO3: idio vs nomo: strength: application
nomo = creates general laws = range of uses
eg. treatments for mental disorders such are possible due to the generalisability of research (pos of large representative sample)
eg. methods for treating phobias (SD/flooding) which result from behaviourist noo research
tf, app of nomo research as conclusions = objective + generalisable
AO3: idio vs nomo debate: strength: app
strength of taking idio approach is the type of data collected
more qualitative methods (case studies + in depth interviews) so researchers can gather rich and subjective info abt the individuals exp
this provides detailed insight abt a person and allows researchers to explore issues in greater depth
useful for identifying new research Qs and challenging established theories as its more detailed and has greater validity
tf, idio make useful contributions to psychological understanding of the person
AO3: idio vs nomo: combo
(MOST IMPORTANT P, USE LAST TO CONCLUDE ESSAY)
greatest understanding for human behav comes from using both
in depth nature of idio = accurate and detailed insight
so, combined w/ nomo which can create general laws by observing large groups of ppl, whole pops can be properly understood
eg. general laws like Tulving’s 3 types of LTM can be supported by idio case studies
alternatively, idio studies can challenge nomo research
eg. pt J.W –> devel the ability to speak w/ his R hemisphere changed the lateralisation to the lang centres
tf, using both can strengthen the validityof a theory or lead to further research –> accuracte understanding of human behav
