nomothetic/idiographic Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is the idiographic approach in psychology?
The idiographic approach suggests psychology should study the individual in detail, focusing on unique personal experiences rather than general laws.
What is the nomothetic approach in psychology?
The nomothetic approach suggests psychology should study large groups to make generalisations about what is typical in different aspects of human behaviour.
What kind of research is most associated with the idiographic approach?
Qualitative research, such as case studies and in-depth interviews.
What kind of research is most associated with the nomothetic approach?
Quantitative research, such as experiments and statistical analyses.
What is a key advantage of the idiographic approach?
It provides a detailed, in-depth account of individual behaviour.
What is a key advantage of the nomothetic approach?
It allows for the creation of general laws that can predict behaviour.
Which approach is associated with humanistic and psychodynamic psychology?
The idiographic approach.
Which approach is associated with behaviourist, cognitive, and biological psychology?
The nomothetic approach.
What is an example of idiographic research in psychology?
Carl Rogers’ work using in-depth conversations to understand the process of self-development.
What is an example of nomothetic research in psychology?
Eysenck’s personality theory using large groups to establish universal traits.
What is the main aim of nomothetic research?
To create general laws that apply to everyone.
What is the main aim of idiographic research?
To understand the unique experience of the individual.
What is the difference between objective and subjective in this debate?
Nomothetic is objective, focusing on measurable and observable data; idiographic is subjective, focusing on personal experience.
What is a limitation of the nomothetic approach?
It may lose sight of the individual and fail to capture the richness of human experience.
What is a limitation of the idiographic approach?
Its findings may not be generalisable to others.
What does ‘triangulation’ mean in this context?
Using multiple sources or methods to check the validity of findings, often used in idiographic research.
What does the idiographic approach contribute to science?
It can generate hypotheses for further study and provide detailed accounts that may highlight important issues.
What does the nomothetic approach contribute to science?
It fits with the aims of science by using standardisation, control, and statistical testing.
What is a ‘complete account’ in this context?
Combining both idiographic and nomothetic approaches for a fuller understanding of behaviour.
What is meant by ‘losing the person’ in the nomothetic approach?
Focusing on general laws can overlook the unique experience of individuals.
What is a counterpoint to the idiographic approach?
It is difficult to make meaningful generalisations without methods for comparison.
What is a counterpoint to the nomothetic approach?
It may fail to capture the subjective richness of individual experience.
How do the two approaches overlap?
Both may use similar research methods and contribute to a fuller understanding of behaviour.
What is the ‘pebble that starts an avalanche’ analogy?
A single case study (idiographic) may generate hypotheses for wider nomothetic research.
