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Issues and Debates > Idiographic vs Nomothetic > Flashcards

Idiographic vs Nomothetic Flashcards

1
Q

Outline the idiographic approach.

A

Focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour, rather than aiming to formulate general laws of behaviour.​

Interested in people as unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.​

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2
Q

What psychological approach links to the idiographic approach?

A

Links to humanism, not applicable to use scientific methods to study human behaviour as it is so subjective.

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3
Q

What does ‘idios’ mean?

A

Greek ‘idios’ meaning ‘private or personal’.​

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4
Q

Name 3 scientific methods used to collect idiographic data.

A

Case studies.

Unstructured interviews.

Open-ended questionnaires.

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5
Q

What are 2 advantages of using case studies (for idiographic data)?

A

Allows for an in-depth analysis.

Very personal.

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6
Q

What are 2 advantages of using unstructured interviews (for idiographic data)?

A

More of a conversation.

less-pressured environment that ignores potential hierarchies.

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7
Q

What are 2 advantages of using open-ended questionnaires (for idiographic data)?

A

Free-flowing.

Non-restrictive.

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8
Q

Outline the nomothetic approach.

A

The nomothetic approach attempts to study human behaviour through the development of general principles and universal laws.​

Provide a benchmark against which people can be compared, classified and measured and on the basis of which, likely behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.​

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9
Q

What does ‘nomos’ mean?

A

Greek ‘nomos’ meaning ‘law’.​

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10
Q

Name 3 scientific methods used to collect nomothetic data.

A

Experiments.

Close-ended questionnaires.

Statistical Analysis.

Controlled observations.

Meta-analysis.

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11
Q

What are 2 disadvantages of using open-ended questionnaires (for idiographic data)?

A

Participants may suffer fatigue if the questionnaire is too long, questions may be skipped.

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12
Q

What are 2 disadvantages of using case studies (for idiographic data)?

A

Cannot be applicable.

May be subject to researcher bias.

Cannot be replicated.

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13
Q

What are 2 disadvantages of using unstructured interviews (for idiographic data)?

A

Time consuming.

Requires good inter-personal skills from both the researcher and the participant.

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14
Q

What are 2 advantages of using experiments (for nomothetic data)?

A

More control.

Lots of participants.

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15
Q

What are 2 advantages of using close-ended questionnaires (for nomothetic data)?

A

Cheap and fast.

More objective and scientific.

Allows for the collection of lots of data.

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16
Q

What are 2 advantages of using statistical analysis (for nomothetic data)?

A

Quantitative data.

More objective.

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17
Q

What are 2 advantages of using controlled observations (for nomothetic data)?

A

More control.

Objective.

Allows for cause-effect relationships.

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18
Q

What are 2 advantages of using meta-analysis (for nomothetic data)?

A

Considers many studies.

Allows for the inclusion of many participants.

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19
Q

What are 2 disadvantages of using experiments (for nomothetic data)?

A

Can be expensive.

Time-consuming.

20
Q

What are 2 disadvantages of using close-ended questionnaires (for nomothetic data)?

A

Doesn’t allow for in-depth study.

Participants may be constrained to certain answers.

21
Q

What is a disadvantage of using statistical analysis (for nomothetic data)?

A

May treat some abnormalities as a disadvantage when they are actually strengths. E.g. IQ.

22
Q

What is a disadvantage of using controlled observations (for nomothetic data)?

A

Participants may behave differently when they are being observed.

23
Q

What are 2 disadvantages of using meta-analysis (for nomothetic data)?

A

Time-consuming.

In its extreme it could lead to stereotyping.

it is secondary data, so they may have operationalised variables differently.

24
Q

State 3 psychologists who studies are nomothetic.

A

Bowlby.

Harlow.

Asch.

25
Q

State 3 studies that are idiographic.

A

Clive Wearing.

EB.

Cameron Mott.

26
Q

What psychologist could be deemed nomothetic and idiographic? Why?

A

Freud.

Idiographic: Freud’s case studies are viewed as an idiographic approach as each person’s psychological disorder derived from their unique childhood experiences.

Nomothetic: Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development is a nomothetic theory as Freud sought to discover a common process shared by all humans.

27
Q

Where does behaviourism sit on the ‘idiographic-nomothetic’ timeline?

A

Far nomothetic.

28
Q

Where does neo-behaviourism sit on the ‘idiographic-nomothetic’ timeline?

A

Close nomothetic.

29
Q

Where does biological sit on the ‘idiographic-nomothetic’ timeline?

A

In between the middle and nomothetic (but closer to nomothetic).

30
Q

Where does cognitive sit on the ‘idiographic-nomothetic’ timeline?

A

In the middle

31
Q

Where does psychodynamic sit on the ‘idiographic-nomothetic’ timeline?

A

In the middle.

32
Q

Where does humanism sit on the ‘idiographic-nomothetic’ timeline?

A

Far idiographic.

33
Q

Why does behaviourism sit far nomothetic on the idiographic-nomothetic timeline?

A
34
Q

Why does neo-behaviourism sit close nomothetic on the idiographic-nomothetic timeline?

A

Universal law of ‘tabula rasa’.

But there are elements of personal mental processes.

Abilities to act upon stimuli.

35
Q

Why does biological sit in between the middle and nomothetic (but closer to nomothetic side) of the idiographic-nomothetic timeline?

A

It generalises findings to everyone, not focusing on an individual.

Studies are mainly objective.

36
Q

Why does cognitive sit in the middle of the idiographic-nomothetic timeline?

A

Features many case studies, but these have had wider applications.

There are cognitive neuroscience.

Ideas of schemas, they are personal.

37
Q

Why does psychodynamic sit in the middle of the idiographic-nomothetic timeline?

A

Uses only case studies, but these are then applied more widely.

38
Q

Why does humanism sit far idiographic on the idiographic-nomothetic timeline?

A

All about the individual.

Uniqueness to be understood.

39
Q

What did John Radford and Richard Kirby state in 1975?

A

State that applications of the nomothetic approach in psychology has produced three board types of general law.

40
Q

According to Radford and Kirby, what were the 3 broad types of general law produced by nomothetic psychology?

A

Classifying people into groups.

Establishing dimensions of behaviour that can be applied to people in general​.

Establishing dimensions along which people can be placed and compared.

41
Q

Give an example of Radford and Kirby’s 1st general law.

A

E.g. Ainsworth, Main and Solomon: Attachment categories.

42
Q

Give an example of Radford and Kirby’s 2nd general law.

A

E.g. Asch, Milgram, Zimbardo: Generally applied studies.

43
Q

Give an example of Radford and Kirby’s 3rd general law.

A

E.g. F-scale, Rotter (locus of control)

44
Q

What did Corkin do in 2002?

A

Completed experimental research with HM.

Demonstrated how he was able to form long term procedural memories for simple motor skills and tasks.

45
Q

Why is the case of HM so important?

A

The case of HM has proved invaluable in revealing how different types of LTM are more resistant to forgetting and may be stored in different areas of the brain.​

46
Q

What did HM develop? What couldn’t he do?

A

Following surgery to treat severe epilepsy in 1953, HM developed anterograde amnesia.

He could not commit newly learned facts or events to LTM but his STM, and memory for events before the surgery stayed intact. ​

Issues and Debates (7 decks)

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