Evaluation

• Nomothetic loses sight of 'whole person'

  -this is because of fixation on quantitative data and statistical analysis.

  -e.g. Milgram found that 65% of PP obeyed the authority figure of a teacher and inflicted a 450 voltage shock to the student.

  -However, the results fail to say why each person obeyed. This only allows us to make predictions about a group and not the individual giving the shock.
• Ideographic approach provides in-dept study

  -it gathers rich, detailed qualitative data. This allows for researcher to learn about unique personal experience of individual.

  -e.g. Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed the model of memory as having 3 unitary stores which is a nomothetic approach as a general law has been created. The in-depth case study of KF used to challenge this by highlighting that STM is not a unitary store. It ideographic as a case study is used. This led to the development of working memory model which recognises separate stores in STM.

  -Therefore, ideographic approach can be used to test models, laws and predictions about behaviour.
• Nomothetic approach has practical applications

  -Developing general laws which govern behaviour allows for psychologists to make predictions.

  -e.g. studying large sample of people who suffer from OCD and studying level of neurotransmitters allows general theories about relationships between serotonin and mood. This allows predictions to be made and understanding can be used to develop treatments like drug therapies.

  -Therefore, shows establishing general laws of behaviours can have practical applications in treating behaviour for people with mental illness.
• However, to practical application

  -research has found that not everyone with OCD responds to drug therapies and have shown improvements in condition when attending the CBT.

  -This highlights the value of taking an ideographic approach. CBT aims to identify unique irrational thoughts of an individual which are challenged. It shows the value of taking an ideographic approach rather than nomothetic where general laws are developed and generalisations are made.
• Ideographic approach does allow for generalisability

  -findings are specific to individuals or smaller groups of people - the target population.

  -This is also because replicability of case studies is difficult.

  -This is because it may e impossible or unethical to actually recreate the unique subjective event as if did then could cause serious trauma or physical harm to the participant.