idographic and nomothetic approaches

what does this debate consider

if it is more important to look at the individual as unique or as part of a group to establish similarities

what is an idiographic approach

considers the individual

from the ancient greek word idios meaning ones own- emphasis on the self and uniqueness

what is the implication of an idiographic approach for research

does not seek to generalise to others from research- no large scale studies or quantitative methods

use of case studies to document the unique perspective of a person to evaluate theories

favours qualitative methods of investigation eg interviews to allow opinion, attitude, and self reflection

what is a nomothetic approach

derived from the greek word nomos translated as law

drawing conclusions about populations of people and generalise to a wider group

what are the 3 types of general laws proposed (Radford and Kirby)

Classification

Establishing Principles
Establishing Dimensions

what is classification

the idea that people can be classified into certain groups according to characteristics, attitudes or behaviour

foundation on which diagnostic manuals for mental health are based eg the DSM-5 attempts to diagnose people by the symptoms present

what is establishing principles

the focus on trying to establish laws and principles that can be applied to human behaviour (eg behaviourism- operant conditioning)

Theories generated under the principle are often weakened by evidence from case studies as a law requires application to all and it takes only one person to whom it does not apply to negate it

what is establishing dimensions

the attempt to document continuums upon which an individual can be placed following comparison with others

focus is widely used in personality research where the trait theories state we have a certain level of a trait and it is variation in levels of those traits which influences behaviour

what research methods are favoured by each

nomothetic- quantitative methods of data collection and analysis, more objective

idiographic- qualitative and descriptive

examples of idiographuc approaches

HM in memory

Czech twins in attachment

David Reimer in Gender

Little hans

CBT

examples of nomothetic approached

learning theory

drug treatments

version therapy

MSM and WMM

STANCE OF EACH APPROACH

AO3 for idiographic and nomothetic

There are numerous strengths to taking an idiographic approach, and a case study method is a powerful tool for evaluating psychological theories.

Whilst case studies can highlight a flaw in psychological theories and prompt further research, a problem with the case study method and with other qualitative methods used with an idiographic approach is that they are extremely time-consuming.

Although some criticise the idiographic approach for its lack of objective and scientific evidence ,idiographic researchers dispute these criticisms.

A strength of the nomothetic approach is that it is generally considered as scientific (unlike an idiographic approach).

A strength of the nomothetic approach is that it is useful for predicting and controlling behaviour.

A criticism from some psychologists about the nomothetic approach is that it loses sight of the ‘whole person’, due to its fixation on quantitative data and statistical analysis.

There are numerous strengths to taking an idiogrpahic approach and a case study method is a powerful tool for evaluating psychological theories

The case of KF exposed a limitation of the MSM of memory, by providing evidence that our STM comprises of at least 2 components (auditory and visual memory) and not one as suggested by Atkinson and Shiffrin. Consequentially, a single case study can complement the nomothetic approach by shedding further light on general laws or by challenging them

The implication of this is that it generates hypotheses for further investigation and in doing so contributed to the development of new theories that further our understanding of human behaviour

Whilst case studies can highlight a flaw in psychological theories and prompt further research, a problem with the case study method and with other qualitative methods used with an idiographic approach is that they are extremely time-consuming.

Both idiographic and nomothetic approaches anre based on large amounts of data, but a nomotheic approach is in terms of number of people rather than large amounts of data on one person. Relatively speaking, once a psychological test has been devised, collecting data on a large number of people is quicker as data can be generated and processed quickly

however, freuds case study of little hans, with an idiographic approach, consists of almost 150 pages of verbatim quotes from his father and details of his life. Although Freud went on to create universal theories of personality development during childhood, these were based on limited and unrepresentative case studies that many psychologists would discredit

Overall, the idiographic approach is less efficient when it comes to data collection and the limitations of the qualitative methods used (such as case studies) arguably weaken Psychology’s position as a science.

Although some criticise the idiographic approach for its lack of objective and scientific evidence, idiographic researchers dispute these criticisms.

Instead they emphasise the evidence based nature of their descriptions and conclusions, and alos seek to be objective (an important criterion of science) For example, qualitative approaches use reflexivity to identify the influence of biases. Reflexivity refers to the process where the researcher reflects or thinks critically during the research process about the factors that affect the behaviour of both research and participants

Thus, it could be argued that idiographic approaches do embrace many of the aims of the scientific approach to research.

A strength of the nomothetic approach is that it is generally considered as scientific (unlike an idiographic approach).

The use of experimental (quantitative) methods, controlled measurement and the ability to predict behaviour, are all seen as strengths of the nomothetic approach. Furthermore, controlled methods allow for replication to examine the reliability of findings which has helped psychology establish itself as a scientific discipline. The development of theories and empirical testing are just one of the key features of science that are employed by the nomothetic approach.

Arguably, these features of science adopted through a nomothetic approach give Psychology greater credibility as a discipline.

A strength of the nomothetic approach is that it is useful for predicting and controlling behaviour.

For example, Biological Psychologists take a nomothetic approach when explaining obsessive- compulsive disorder (OCD) and claim that OCD is caused by higher levels of dopamine and lower levels of serotonin. Drug therapies are developed on the basis of nomothetic research and work by readdressing a biological imbalance. SSRIs are used to treat OCD and increase the availability and uptake of serotonin, thus reducing the anxiety associated with OCD which helps to improve the lives of people suffering from this condition, as a result of nomothetic the research.

This suggests that nomothetic approaches are more useful for developing psychological treatments than idiographic approaches.

Counterargument: However, as drug treatments are not successful for all patients, some psychologists argue that alternate treatments (e.g. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) which are based on an idiographic approach are more suitable for treating individuals with such conditions, as they seek to understand and explain the disorder from a patient’s point of view

A criticism from some psychologists about the nomothetic approach is that it loses sight of the ‘whole person’ due to its fixation on quantitative data and statistical analysis

Furthermore, these psychologists also claim that the nomothetic approaches only provide a superficial understanding of human behaviour. For example, Milgram’s research found that 65% of participants obeyed an authority figure and inflicted a 450 volt electric shock because they were ordered to do so. However, the results fail to provide an explanation of why each person obeyed and there may have been very different circumstances that led to the obedince found in each participant. Idiographic researchers would argue Milgrams research only allows us to make predictions on groups and not individuals. While Milgram might predict that 65% of the population would obey an order, he is unable to accurately predict what an individual would do. Allaport argued that it is only by understanding an individual that we can make accurate predictions on individual behaviour

This suggests that the focus on individuals (an idiographic approach) can provide us with a more complete understanding of human behaviour