idiographic V nomothetic

• Why is finding a valid explanation of the world tricky in psychology?

  Because human experiences are complex and varied
• What do most psychologists believe is the best mechanism to find truth?

  The scientific method
• What is the first step in the scientific method according to psychologists?

  Construct a theory
• What is the purpose of altering one variable in psychological experiments?

  To test the theory
• What is the idiographic approach in psychology?

  Studying individual experiences in depth
• How does the idiographic approach differ from the nomothetic approach?

  Idiographic focuses on individuals, nomothetic on groups
• What is a classic non-experimental technique used in idiographic research?

  The case study
• What type of data does idiographic research typically produce?

  Qualitative data
• What is a key criticism of idiographic research?

  It is seen as unscientific
• Why is idiographic data considered unreliable?

  Results vary with repeated studies
• What is a strength of idiographic research?

  It provides rich, detailed information
• What is the main research method used by nomothetic researchers?

  Controlled experiments
• What type of data do nomothetic approaches produce?

  Quantitative data
• What is a key advantage of nomothetic research?

  It allows for generalizations
• What is a limitation of nomothetic research?

  It may not fully represent human behavior
• Which psychological theories primarily use nomothetic methods?

  Behaviorism, social learning, biological, cognitive
• What is the idiographic perspective on human experience?

  Each experience is unique and complex
• How can idiographic research inform nomothetic studies?

  By generating hypotheses for larger studies
• What is a practical application of the idiographic approach?

  Client-centered therapy
• How do case studies contribute to psychological research?

  They provide insights into unique experiences
• What is the role of qualitative data in idiographic research?

  It captures detailed personal experiences
• What is a common criticism of nomothetic research methods?

  They can be overly reductionist
• How do idiographic and nomothetic approaches complement each other?

  They provide a holistic understanding of behavior
• How can the integrative approach enhance psychological research?

  By combining general trends with individual insights
• Who are notable humanistic psychologists that use the idiographic approach?

  Rogers and Maslow
• What is the significance of case studies in humanistic psychology?

  They explore unique human experiences
• What is a potential bias in idiographic research?

  Researcher's interpretation may influence results
• What is the main focus of nomothetic research?

  Establishing general laws of behavior
• What is the outcome of combining idiographic and nomothetic approaches?

  A more comprehensive understanding of behavior
• How can findings from idiographic studies be used in nomothetic research?

  To generate hypotheses for larger studies
• What is the significance of the term "nomos" in nomothetic research?

  It means law in ancient Greek
• What does "idio" refer to in idiographic research?

  It refers to the individual
• What is a key feature of qualitative data?

  It is descriptive and rich in detail
• Why is the humanistic approach considered idiographic?

  It focuses on individual subjective experiences
• How do idiographic and nomothetic approaches reflect each other's strengths and weaknesses?

  Strengths of one are weaknesses of the other
• What is the role of structured observations in nomothetic research?

  To produce quantitative data
• What is the main criticism of quantitative data in psychology?

  It can be overly reductionist
• How does the idiographic approach view human behavior?

  As unique and complex
• What is the significance of the term "qualitative" in psychological research?

  It refers to data that captures depth and detail
• What is the importance of cultural context in idiographic research?

  It influences individual behavior and experiences