Psychology - Issues and Debates

AO1: What is the Nomothetic approach

• tries to establish general laws of behaviour

• uses scientific and experimental techniques such as controlled lab experiments and structured interviews to collect quantitative data

• include behaviourist, social learning theory, biological and cognitive approaches

AO3 for Nomothetic Approach

✅Scientific so can predict and control behaviour → e.g. biological approach OCD explanation allowed development of SSRIs ∴ RWA

❌fails to understand why behaviours occur → e.g. 65% shocked with 450volts in Milgram’s study but there could have been different circumstances as to why ppt obeyed ∴ overlooks complexity of behaviour

AO1: What is the idiographic approach

• doesn’t try to establish general laws of behaviour and studies individual’s subjective experiences and behaviour

• uses unscientific and non-experimental techniques such as case studies, open ended questionnaires and unstructured interviews to collect quantitative data

• includes humanistic and psychodynamic approach

AO3 for idiographic approach

✅provides detailed qualitative data → e.g. using non scientific techniques

❌subjective → e.g. Freuds Little Hans case study lacks reliability and is open to bias