Idiographic and nomothetic approaches

• What do idiographic approaches focus on?

  Individual uniqueness and personal experiences
• How do idiographic approaches study individuals?

  As unique cases with their own experiences
• What is a limitation of idiographic approaches?

  They cannot compare individuals to larger groups
• What type of data is associated with the idiographic approach?

  Qualitative data
• What is one aim of the idiographic approach?

  To understand human experience and perspectives
• Who are two key figures associated with the idiographic perspective?

  Rogers and Maslow
• What do humanistic psychologists focus on?

  Documenting individual experiences
• What is the idiographic approach often labeled as?

  Case study method
• What did Freud assume about human behavior?

  He described universal laws of behavior
• What is the main aim of the nomothetic approach?

  To produce general laws of human behavior
• How does the nomothetic approach classify people?

  By comparing and measuring behaviors
• What methods are closely aligned with the nomothetic approach?

  Scientific methods like experiments
• What are the three types of general laws according to Radford and Kirby (1975)?

  1. Classification - Grouping based on behaviors
  2. Establishing principles - Laws applicable to behavior
  3. Establishing dimensions - Continuum for comparison
• What characterizes the nomothetic approach?

  Reductionist and deterministic methods
• How are hypotheses treated in the nomothetic approach?

  Formulated and tested under controlled conditions
• Which psychological fields often use the nomothetic approach?

  Behaviorist, cognitive, and biological psychologies
• What are the strengths of the nomothetic approach?

  • Establishes universal laws
  • Allows for generalization across populations
  • Provides reliable and replicable data
• What is a benefit of using nomothetic approaches in research?

  They provide objective data for analysis
• What are the strengths of the idiographic approach?

  • Values subjective experiences
  • Provides in-depth understanding of behaviors
  • Allows for detailed individual analysis
• What is a limitation of the idiographic approach?

  Low generalizability to wider populations
• How does the idiographic approach differ from the nomothetic approach?

  Idiographic focuses on individuals, nomothetic on groups
• What are the weaknesses of the nomothetic approach?

  • Overlooks individual differences
  • May not account for unique experiences
  • Can lead to reductionist conclusions
• What is a criticism of the nomothetic approach regarding individual differences?

  It overlooks unique individual experiences
• How does the cognitive approach relate to the idiographic approach?

  It often uses nomothetic methods
• What is the multi-store model of memory based on?

  Nomothetic methods
• What is a potential issue with generalizing findings from idiographic studies?

  They may not apply to the wider population
• How do idiographic and nomothetic approaches complement each other?

  They provide different perspectives on behavior