Idiographic and Nomothetic - Examples

Question 1

Give an example of a nomothetic study
Biological approach

Answer 1

Biological approach - Drug treatments
Use large-scale/controlled drug trials to test the treatments.

These trials assume it is a general law that (Neurotransmitter levels) influence the symptoms of mental health conditions.

Reliability - Given doctors treating mental health conditions confidence to prescribe drugs such as SSRIs for OCD or Chlorpromazine for Schizophrenia.

Question 2

Give an example of the nomothetic approach
Learning theorists (Behaviourists/social learning)

Answer 2

Large number of studies that test operant/classical conditioning on animals that back up Skinners and Pavlov’s learning theories.

Accurate predictions of animal/human behaviour.

Real-life application - Therapies can be formed.

Question 3

Give an example of a idiographic study
Humanistic

Answer 3

Humanistic psychologists argue that due to human behaviour/experience being subjective and complex they cannot be studied in a scientific way.

Rodgers/Maslow - looked into the uniqueness of human experience.

Real-life-application- Client-centered therapy

Question 4

Give an example of a idiographic study
Cognitive
Psychodynamic
Biological

Answer 4

Use of case-studies
Cognitive - Clive Wearing
Psychodynamic - Little Hans
Biological - Tan

In depth investigations - Provide insights into the structure of mental processes (Memory/brain function) that are not possible experimentally.

Question 5

What else do case-studies provide insights for ?

Answer 5

Inform theoretical models.
Support/contradict previous theories
Construct testable hypotheses that can then be tested experimentally.