Nomothetic and Idiographic Approaches

• What is the idiographic-nomothetic debate centered on?

  Two opposing approaches in psychology

  
• What does the idiographic approach focus on?

  Unique insights from the study of individuals

  
• What does "idios" mean in Greek?

  Personal
• What does "nomos" mean in Greek?

  Law
• How many participants are typically involved in idiographic research?

  Small, often a single individual or group
• What type of data is most idiographic research based on?

  Qualitative data

  
• What type of interview is commonly used in idiographic research?

  Fairly unstructured interview
• What is the purpose of analyzing data in idiographic research?

  To identify themes and help others
• What is the focus of the nomothetic approach?

  Establishing laws and generalizations about people

  
• What type of data does nomothetic research primarily use?

  Mainly quantitative data

  
• What is the first step in the nomothetic research process?

  Hypotheses are formulated

  
• What is the last step in the nomothetic research process?

  Statistical significance is assessed
• What is a key characteristic of nomothetic approaches?

  They seek to quantify human behavior

  
• What is a common research method used in nomothetic approaches?

  Lab experiments

  
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the idiographic approach?

  Strengths:

  • Provides in-depth understanding of individuals
  • Allows for unique case studies

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Difficult to generalize findings
  • Often seen as non-scientific
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the nomothetic approach?

  Strengths:

  • Establishes general laws of behavior
  • Uses objective and controlled methods

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Individual experiences may be overlooked
  • Can lack generalizability to real-life situations
• How do idiographic and nomothetic approaches complement each other?

  Idiographic insights can inform nomothetic laws

  
• What is a limitation of the nomothetic approach regarding individual experiences?

  It may lose the whole person in psychology
• What is a strength of the idiographic approach in terms of individual value?

  It values and recognizes unique individuals
• How does the idiographic approach contribute to scientific understanding?

  It provides detailed insights for broader theories

  
• What is the role of reflexivity in idiographic research?

  Researchers examine their own biases
• What is the significance of triangulation in idiographic research?

  It compares a range of studies for objectivity
• What does the idiographic approach help to study that cannot be created in a lab?

  Unique problems of individuals
• What is a common criticism of the nomothetic approach regarding everyday life?

  It creates a lack of generalization
• What is the importance of standardized methods in the nomothetic approach?

  Ensures replication and removes bias
• How does the idiographic approach contribute to therapeutic ideas?

  It provides insights into individual experiences

  
• What is the relationship between idiographic and nomothetic approaches in terms of scientific status?

  Both raise psychology's status as a science

  
• What is the significance of the case study of HM in psychology?

  It reveals insights about normal functioning
• What does the idiographic approach use to complement the nomothetic approach?

  In-depth qualitative methods

  
• What is a limitation of the idiographic approach regarding generalization?

  Difficult to generalize from one individual
• How does the nomothetic approach ensure objectivity?

  Through standardized and controlled methods
• What is the impact of the idiographic approach on understanding human behavior?

  Provides a more complete understanding of individuals
• What is a common method used in idiographic research?

  Case study

  
• What is the significance of using closed questions in nomothetic research?

  They allow for quantitative analysis

  
• What is the role of structured observation in nomothetic research?

  To assess behavior in a standardized way
• What is the purpose of unstructured interviews in idiographic research?

  To gather detailed personal insights
• What is the significance of lab experiments in nomothetic research?

  They allow for controlled testing of hypotheses
• What is the impact of using unstructured observation in idiographic research?

  It captures natural behavior in context
• What is the relationship between idiographic and nomothetic approaches in terms of research methods?

  They use different methods for different insights

  
• What is the significance of the evaluation task in understanding idiographic and nomothetic approaches?

  It helps identify strengths and weaknesses