Debates – Nomothetic VS Idiographic Approaches to Psychological Investigation: Flashcards
(10 cards)
Define the idiographic and nomothetic debate.
The idiographic and nomothetic debate argues whether psychology should focus on understanding individuals as unique (idiographic), or study large groups to develop universal laws (nomothetic).
Outline the idiographic approach to psychological investigation.
Focuses on individuals or small samples.
Collects qualitative, detailed data (e.g., case studies, interviews).
No attempt to generalise findings.
Analysis through qualitative methods like thematic analysis.
Conclusions are specific to the individual or small group studied.
Outline examples of idiographic research in Psychology.
CBT: Customised to address a client’s unique irrational thoughts.
Humanistic psychology: Emphasises studying the person as a whole individual using case studies and interviews.
Freud’s case studies: E.g., Little Hans provided rich, individual-level insight.
Explain two strengths of the idiographic approach.
✅ Rich, detailed data
Produces in-depth, qualitative information.
Leads to more valid conclusions as the complexity of human behaviour is captured.
✅ More effective treatments
Focus on the individual means interventions (like CBT) can be tailored.
More effective than one-size-fits-all treatments derived from nomothetic research.
Explain two limitations of the idiographic approach.
❌ Lack of generalisability
Focus on individuals or small samples means findings can’t be applied to wider population.
❌ Less scientific
Relies on subjective interpretation of qualitative data, reducing objectivity and replicability.
Outline the nomothetic approach to psychological investigation.
Studies large, representative samples.
Uses quantitative data (e.g., experiments, questionnaires).
Employs objective, statistical methods (e.g., inferential statistics).
Aims to develop universal laws of human behaviour.
Outline examples of nomothetic research in Psychology.
Cognitive Psychology: Research on memory (e.g., capacity of STM).
Social Psychology: Milgram (obedience), Asch (conformity) used large samples and quantitative data.
Behaviourism: Universal laws like operant conditioning and classical conditioning.
Explain two strengths of the nomothetic approach.
✅ Scientific and objective
Uses numerical data that is statistically analysed, reducing researcher bias.
Enhances reliability and replicability.
✅ Positive applications in society
Helps develop general treatments and predictions (e.g., drug therapies, behaviourist techniques).
Enables psychologists to modify and predict behaviour on a large scale.
Explain two limitations of the nomothetic approach.
❌ Overlooks individual differences
General laws may not apply to every individual, which can reduce treatment effectiveness.
❌ Lack of depth
Quantitative data lacks contextual richness.
Ignores subjective experience, which can be essential for full understanding of behaviour.
Discuss the idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigations.
The idiographic approach provides in-depth insight, suited for tailored treatments.
The nomothetic approach provides scientific validity and allows for generalisation and prediction.
Both have value. A combined approach (e.g., using idiographic data to refine nomothetic models) can produce the most comprehensive understanding of behaviour.
