Idiographic and Nomothetic Approaches

• idiographic approach (definition)

• derived from the Greek 'idios' meaning 'private or personal'

Key words for idiographic approach (DA)

what does the approach attempt to do

• The Idiographic approach in psychology attempts to describe the nature of the individual
  

DA- study who as what

• • Studying individuals as unique entities with unique experiences, motivations, and values.
  

DA- what does it avoid

• • Avoids comparison to larger groups, norms, or standards.
  

DA- what is it associated with

• • Associated with qualitative data methods like case studies, unstructured interviews, and self-report measures.
  

DA- what does it aim to do

• • Aims to describe human experience richness and unique worldviews.

• Examples of Idiographic Approach in Psychology

Humanistic psychology and psychodynamic

• Humanistic Psychology:
  • Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow used a phenomenological approach to study humans.
  • Focused on documenting individual's conscious experience.
  • Described themselves as 'anti-scientific', investigating unique experiences on its own merits than producing general laws of behaviour.
  
  Psychodynamic Approach:
  • Sigmund Freud used case study method to detail patients' lives.
  • Assumed he had developed universal laws of behaviour and personality development.

• nomothetic approach (definition)

• derived from the Greek 'nomos' meaning 'law'

key terms for nomothetic approach

• Aims to create general laws of human behaviour.
• Provides a benchmark for people to be compared, classified, and measured
• likely future behaviour can be controlled and/or predicted
• Aligns with scientific methods like experiments.
• Involves studying large numbers of people to identify similarities and differences.

Examples of nomothetic approach in psychology

Hypotheses

Beh- Skinner

Cog- Infer

Bio- brain scans

Hypotheses are rigorously tested, statistically analysed, and general laws and principles proposed

• Examples include Skinner's study of responses of hundreds of animals to develop learning laws.
• Cognitive psychologists infer human memory structure and processes through large sample performance measurements of people in lab tests
• Biological psychologists conduct brain scans to make generalisations about function localisation.

A03

Idiographic approach

The case for..

• The idiographic approach, with its in-depth qualitative methods of investigation, provides comprehensive, global account of individuals.
• Complements nomothetic approach by shedding light on general laws or challenging them.
• For example, a single case may generate hypotheses for further study.
• May involves in brain-damaged individuals, like HM, revealing insights about normal functioning. May contribute to our overall understanding

Idiographic approach

The case against…

-On the other hand, supporters of the idiographic approach must still recognise the narrow and restricted nature of their work.
• Critics argue Freud's key concepts, like the Oedipus complex, were developed from a single case study. For example Little Hans
• Meaningful generalizations require additional examples due to lack of a baseline so unable to compare behaviour.
• Idiographic approach methods, like case studies, are less scientific due to conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and, as such, are open to bias.

nomothetic approach

case for…

• The processes involved in nomothetic research tend to be more scientific, mirroring those employed within the natural sciences - testing under standardised conditions
• using data sets for group averages, statistical analysis, prediction, and control.
• for example in the field of 1Q testing
• Enabled psychologists to establish norms of 'typical' behaviour, arguably giving psychology greater scientific credibility.

nomothetic approach

the case against…

• general laws, prediction and control has been accused of 'losing the whole person' in psychology.
• Lacks understanding of individual experiences, like schizophrenia risk.
• Lab studies often treat participants as scores, overlooking subjective experiences.
• May overlook the richness of human experience in its search for generalities.