Idiographic Vs Nomothetic approach in research

Idiographic approaches (description)

• Assumes that human beings are all individual and unique

• This uniqueness can only be understood through using qualitative techniques

• General laws are impossible to find with this approach because of free will and individual subjective experiences

• Methods: case studies, informal interviews, unstuctured observation

• E.g. humanistic

Nomothetic (prediction) Approach

• Finds LAWS of behaviour, general rules that can be applied to everyone

• Might involve classifying people into groups (mental disorders), principles (laws of learning), or dimensions (scales, like Eyseck personality theory)

• Because you are looking for universal laws, you dont really think about unique subjective experience, you care about what applies to everyone

Idiographic: AO3

+More complete and global picture of the individual

+Can be a source of ideas for late scientific study

+Individuals feel like their unique experiences are being values

-Difficult to generalise findings

-Very open to bias

-Neglects bio influences

AO3: Nomothetic

+Scientific, objective, uses standardised methods, allow for replication

+Combins bio, psych and social aspects

-Sometimes universality cannot be established

The idea of complementarity

Both have a role in understanding behaviour

e.g. following a nomothetic law, idiographic research can provide a fuller understanding OR following rich idiographic research, this might provide insight into laws that can be created