AO1

• What is the idiographic-nomothetic approach?

  • Idiographic approach suggests psychology should be the study of individuals (or group)to understand human behaviour better
  • Nomothetic approach suggests psychology should be the study of large and varied groups to make generalisations about what is typical in different aspects of human behaviour
• What is the idiographic approach to psychology?

  • The number of ptpts in idiographic research is small, often a case study, single individual, group, or institute
  • Focus is on detail - what we can learn about this individual case
  • Generalisations can be made but initial focus is on understanding the individual
• Idiographic approach and Qualitative Research

  • first-hand account from a small number of people (case study)
  • Ptpts would be interviewed in-depth and focus may be on particular facet of human behaviour - how ptpts coped with their experience
  • Data is then analysed and emergent themes are identified, conclusions are made to help others going through similar experiences
• What is the Nomothetic approach to psychological investigation?

  • The main aim is to create general 'laws' - create general principles of behaviour which then, for example, could be applied to an individual situations such as drug therapies
• Quantitative Research and the Nomothetic approach

  • Nomothetic approach closely fits the traditional models of the scientific method in psychology
  • Hypotheses are formulated, samples of people are assessed in some way and numerical data is produced and analysed for its statistical significance .
  • Nomothetic approaches seek to quantify human behaviour
• Objective vs Subjective: Idiographic and Nomothetic

  • The idea of objectivity is key to the nomothetic approach
  • Laws are only possible if methods of assessments are delivered in a standardised and objective way
  • The idiographic approach relies on subjectivity.
  • People's individual experience of there unique context is important rather than some underlying reality out there