Idiographic & nomothetic

What does the idiographic approach emphasise?

The importance of the individual & the uniqueness of the person

What are some examples of uniqueness that an idiographic approach might focus on?

Experiences, feelings, aspirations/motivations in life & the values & moral code by which they live

What type of research method does an idiographic approach use?

Qualitative

What are some examples of qualitative methods that an idiographic approach might use?

• Case studies & unstructured interviews

• Self-reports & autobiographies

• Personal documents

The idiographic approach also relates to which other psychological debate & why?

Holism → it places great value on the individual’s conscious experiences

Which psychological perspective best exemplifies the idiographic approach?

Humanism

What does the nomothetic approach focus on?

The similarities between people

What does a nomothetic approach try to establish?

General laws of behaviour that can be applied to large populations of people

What are the three types of law that a nomothetic approach focuses on?

• Classifying people into groups

• Establishing principles

• Establishing dimensions

What is an example of classifying people into groups?

DSM-5 for classifying people with mood disorders

What is an example of establishing principles?

The behaviourist laws of learning

What is an example of establishing dimensions?

Eysenck’s personality inventory

The nomothetic approach uses what type of research methods?

Quantitative & scientific

Which research method would most commonly be used by a nomothetic approach?

Experiments

Why does the nomothetic approach believe that experiments are best?

They can test hypotheses that are derived from theories about human behaviour

Which approach, linked with another debate in psychology, does the nomothetic approach adopt & why?

Reductionism: it places great value on objectivity & replication

What are three psychological perspectives that best exemplify the nomothetic approach?

• Behaviourism

• Cognitive

• Biological

Which other perspective also attempts to establish laws or rules about human beings but without adopting a scientific approach?

Psychodynamic

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation (16 marks)

Write your AO1 paragraph

• The idiographic approach focuses on the uniqueness of the individual, including their experiences, emotions & values. It studies subjective experiences using qualitative methods, such as case studies, interviews, self-reports & autobiographies. It is holistic & emphasises conscious experience, with the humanistic approach best supporting this view.

• Whereas, the nomothetic approach focuses on similarities between people & aims to establish general laws of behaviour that apply to large groups. There are 3 types of laws: classifying people into groups (e.g. DSM-5 for classifying people with mental disorders), establishing principles (e.g. behaviourist laws of learning) & establishing dimensions (e.g. Eysenck’s personality inventory). It uses scientific, objective & replicable research methods (e.g. experiments).

• The nomothetic approach is reductionist & is best supported by the behaviourist, cognitive & biological approach. The psychodynamic approach also attempts to establish general laws (e.g. psychosexual stages & Oedipus/Electra complex), however Freud didn’t scientifically test many of his theories.

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (KF)

• Point: One strength of the idiographic approach is that it can lead to the development & refinement of psychological theories.

• Evidence: For example, the case study of KF challenged the multi-store model of memory by showing that short-term memory (STM) is not a unitary store, but includes the phonological loop & visuo-spatial sketchpad.

• Explain: This supports Baddeley & Hitch’s working memory model by providing detailed insight into the structure of STM that wouldn’t be possible experimentally.

• Link: As such, the idiographic approach can improve psychological understanding by providing real-life insights to develop more valid theories of behaviour.

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (drug trials)

• Point: One strength of the nomothetic approach is that it produces reliable data that is easy to replicate, measure precisely & analyse statistically.

• Evidence: For example, biological psychologists conduct large-scale, well-controlled drug trials to test novel drugs, based on the general assumption that neurotransmitter levels influence mental disorders.

• Explain: The reliability of these findings has increased confidence in drug therapy, such as SSRIs (e.g. Prozac) for OCD & antipsychotics (e.g. Chlorpromazine & Clozapine) for schizophrenia.

• Link: Therefore, by focusing on general laws & objective measurement, the nomothetic approach increases psychology’s scientific credibility.

Discuss idiographic and nomothetic approaches to psychological investigation (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (Little Hans)

• Point: One limitation of the idiographic approach is that qualitative data can reduce objectivity.

• Evidence: For example, in the case study of Little Hans, Freud never directly conversed with Little Hans, but instead communication was via correspondence with Hans’ father writing to Freud about Hans’ dreams & behaviours.

• Explain: Freud attempted to derive nomothetic theories from an idiographic approach, however it is difficult to generalise findings from a single individual. Additionally, any qualitative analysis is subjective & prone to researcher bias & the self-fulfilling prophecy.

• Link: Overall, the idiographic approach is criticised for its unscientific nature & lack of scientific rigour.