Idiographic and Nomothetic

• This debate is about the extent to which psychology should focus on dealing with individuals as opposed to generating theories and laws that apply to all people

  Therefore, producing generalities against which people can be compared and measured

  This has implications for the types of research methods psychologists use
• The ideographic approach usually ends up being nomothetic

  Research can start with nomothetic laws, then use laws to focus on a more idiographic understanding o