Idiographic And Nomothetic Approaches To Psychological Investigation

Question 1

Define the term idiographic approach

Answer 1

Focuses on the individual and emphasises the unique personal experience of human nature. It doesn’t formulate general laws but obtains detailed information about an individual or group.

Question 2

Define the term nomothetic approach

Answer 2

Establishing general laws based on the study of large groups of people.

Question 3

Identify 3 methods of investigation used by idiographic approaches

Answer 3

Case study, unstructured interviews, open questions

Question 4

Identify 3 methods of investigation used by nomothetic approaches

Answer 4

Structured questionnaire, observations, meta-analyses

Question 5

What is the main differences between these 2 approaches?

Answer 5

N is objective whereas I is subjective
N uses quantitative research whereas I uses qualitative research
N establishes general laws whereas I doesn’t formulate general laws

Question 6

Explain what the debate is here

Answer 6

The debate is centred on two opposing approaches:
- Idiographic suggests psychology should be the study of individuals, because obtaining lots of information means we can understand behaviour better.
- Nomothetic suggests psychology should be the study of large and varied groups to make generalisations about what is typical in different aspects of human behaviour e.g. establishing norms.

Question 7

What research is used in the idiographic approach?

Answer 7

Qualitative research

Question 8

Describe how research would be conducted in the Idiographic approach for depression

Answer 8

Participants would be interviewed in depth and the focus may be on a particular facet of human behaviour, such as how the participants coped with their experience (using an unstructured interview)
Such data is then analysed and emergent themes are identified.
Conclusions may help other people going through similar experiences or help mental health professionals determine best practice.

Question 9

Is idiographic methods/research subjective or objective?

Answer 9

SUBJECTIVE

Question 10

Explain how it is subjective

Answer 10

Researchers working within the idiographic approach tend not to believe that objectivity in psychological research is possible. It is people’s individual experience of their unique context that is important, rather than some underlying reality out there that is waiting to be discovered.

Question 11

Link the idiographic approach to research

Answer 11

This approach is most associated with the humanistic and psychodynamic approaches.

• Carl Rogers explained the process of self-development including the role of unconditional positive regard. This was derived from in depth conversations with clients in therapy.
• Freud’s careful observations of individuals were the basis of his explanations of human nature, for example the case of Little Hans was used to explain how a phobia might develop.

Question 12

What research is used in the idiographic approach?

Answer 12

Qualitative

Question 13

Describe how research would be conducted in the nomothetic approach

Answer 13

Hypotheses are formulated, samples of people are assessed in some way (perhaps structured questionnaire or psychological test) and the numerical data produced is analysed for its statistical significance.
Nomothetic approaches seek to quantify human behaviour.

Question 14

Are nomothetic methods/research subjective or objective?

Answer 14

Objective

Question 15

Explain how the nomothetic approach is objective

Answer 15

Laws of behaviour are only possible if methods of assessment are delivered in a standardised and objective way. This ensures true replication occurs across samples of behaviour and removes the contaminating influence of bias.

Question 16

Link the nomothetic approach to research

Answer 16

The behaviourist and biological approaches are nomothetic even though they sometimes use quite small samples.
- B.F. Skinner studied animals to develop the general laws of learning. His research looked at one aspect of behaviour in a few animals but the main aim was to establish general laws.
- biological psychology may use a small sample such as Roger Berry’s split-brain research which involved repeated testing and was the basis for understanding hemispheric lateralisation.