idiographic vs nomothetic

nomothetic

Attempts to establish general laws of behaviour that apply to all or support existing theories. 

Research uses a large and representative sample of pps.

Inferences are made about the broader population based on the behaviour of the sample. This process of generalisation allows researchers to make predictions. 

main rm used by nomothetic researchers: controlled experiment (but also use structured observations) → produce quantitative data. Nomothetic research is seen as a scientific approach. The large samples mean generalisations are made from the data to create universal laws of human behaviour. These studies tend to have high reliability, arguably at the expense of validity.

An example of a nomothetic study is Skinner’s Box (behaviourist approach). These behavioural principles accurately predict animal and human behaviour, leading to application in therapy (e.g. systematic desensitisation). Using controlled and reliable nomothetic techniques has given modern psychology scientific legitimacy. 

AO3 - strength of nomothetic approach

Generalisations can be made: 

cuz they take a scientific approach with replicable studies, high levels of control and data that can be assessed for significance with statistics. allows psychologists to be more confident in generalising findings and predicting future behaviour. 

AO3 - limitation of nomothetic approach

superficial: 

Fixed criteria don’t give a complete picture of the individual. 2 people with a depression diagnosis have different experiences.

methods - such as reducing emotions to points on a scale, ticking yes or no boxes for major life events, or measuring the levels of neurotransmitters in someone with a mental health condition - produce reliable data, but at the expense of validity, as the data collected is overly reductionist. 

consequently, nomothetic approach loses understanding of the individual.

idiographic

Focuses on the experience of the individual, exploring their unique understanding of the world in depth. Each individual is unique and complex. 

Idiographic research studies individuals’ subjective experiences, behaviours, and personalities. 

There’s also an attempt to understand the cultural, social and environmental context that influences an individual. 

As each individual and their experience is assumed to be unique, there’s usually no attempt to generalise findings or claim to have found laws of behaviour. 

Non-experimental techniques: including in-depth case studies, content analysis and unstructured interviews → produces qualitative data. Idiographic research is seen as unscientific; if researchers repeat case studies, the results will always be different. But, data is arguably more valid in its description of behaviour. But can’t be used to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships. The only approach that’s idiographic is the humanistic approach; they use case studies to explore each individual’s unique experience without attempting to generalise.  

An example of the idiographic approach is client-centred therapy. Humanistic psychologists -> due to the subjective and highly complex psychological aspect of human experience, humans are not suitable for scientific study in the same way as physical objects.  

AO3 - strength of idiographic approach

Rich, detailed data: 

pps can fully explain their experience → detail collected is more varied and extensive. This gives idiographic research a more valid perspective on human behaviour. 

AO3 - limitation of idiographic approach

Time-consuming: 

Due to the depth and detail, idiographic research can be a drawn-out process. The nature of idiographic studies, with the researcher potentially spending months or even years investigating the case with hours of interviews to transcribe, means compared to nomothetic research, idiographic research can be far more time-consuming. More expensive. Less pps so even less generalisable. 

integrative approach

using both idiographic and nomothetic methods allows researchers to combine the strengths of each, providing a more holistic understanding of behaviour. E.g. general trends may be identified using the nomothetic approach, followed by an idiographic study exploring the trend in individuals.  

Alternatively, idiographic findings can generate hypotheses tested on a larger scale using nomothetic methods, e.g. Tan’s limited abilities with language production is now backed by nomothetic fMRI brain scanning research confirming the role of Broca’s area in language production.