Idiographic and Nomothetic Flashcards
(13 cards)
What does Idiographic mean?
Own/private
Each individual is unique/complex
What does Nomothetic mean?
Law
There are general rules that apply universally.
When would a psychological investigation be Nomothetic?
When research uses a large/representative sample of participants.
Findings generate new laws of behaviour or support existing theories.
How do you take a Nomothetic approach?
Inferences are made about a wider population based on the behaviour found in the sample.
The generalisation allows for researchers to make predictions.
What experimental techniques are used with a nomothetic approach?
Lab experiments (highly controlled)
Structured observations
What data do Nomothetic experiments produce?
Quantitative data (Numerical)
What kind of approach is nomothetic research seen as?
Why?
Scientific
Generalisations are made from the data to create universal laws of human behaviour.
Data is high in reliability
However may be low validity
Which approaches use nomothetic methods?
Behaviourism - Skinner’s rats
Social learning theory - Bandura’s bobo doll
Biological - Drug trials
Cognitive - Memory tests
When would a psychological investigation be idiographic ?
When research studies Individuals,
Subjective experiences
Behaviours
Personalities.
Attempt to understand cultural/social/environmental contexts that can influence an individual.
What experimental techniques are used with Idiographic approaches?
Non-experimental ones
Case-studies
Content analysis
Unstructured interviews
What data do idiographic experiments produce ?
Qualitative - (Rich in detail)
What kind of approach is idiographic research seen as?
Unscientific
Unreliable (Two case-studies will differ - not replicable)
Data is more valid in its description of behaviour.
What approaches are idiographic?
Humanistic - Uses case studies.
Psychodynamic - (Psychosexual stages - little hans case study)
