Idiographic and nomothetic approaches (finished)

What is the idiographic approach?

Focuses on individuals and emphasises uniqueness, favours qualitative methods in research

What is the nomothetic approach?

Seeks to formulate general laws of behaviour based on the study of groups and the use of statistical techniques. It attempts to summarise the differences between people through generalisations

Examples of nomothetic approach

Biological approach - general principles e.g stress response

Behavioural approach - laws of conditioning

Cognitive psychology - case studied have to be used for abnormal behaviour

Examples of the idiographic approach

Freuds case study - little hans

Humanistic research into subjective experience

Allports letters from Jenny

Limitations of the idiographic approach

Time consuming

Lack of objective evidence due to case studies and qualitative data

Inability to produce general predictions about behaviour is limiting

Strengths of the idiographic approach

Focuses on the individual