Idiographic and Nomothetic

• Why is getting to a valid explanation of the world tricky?

  Because it involves complex human experiences
• What method do most psychologists prefer to find truth?

  The scientific method
• What does the scientific method involve in psychology?

  Testing a theory by altering one variable
• What is the first step in the scientific method according to psychologists?

  Construct a theory
• What is the term for the approach that tests theories with many participants?

  Athletic approach
• Why might the athletic approach not capture human experience fully?

  Because experiences vary greatly among individuals
• What is an idiographic approach in psychology?

  Studying individual unique experiences
• What is a common method used in idiographic research?

  Case studies
• What is the main focus of idiographic research?

  Individual experiences and behaviors
• What is the origin of the term 'nomothetic'?

  It comes from the Greek word for law
• What does nomothetic research aim to establish?

  General laws of behavior
• What type of data do nomothetic researchers primarily produce?

  Quantitative data
• What is a strength of nomothetic research?

  It allows for generalizations across populations
• What is a weakness of nomothetic research?

  It may lack validity in representing individuals
• Which psychological approaches primarily use nomothetic methods?

  Behaviorism, social learning, biological, cognitive
• What is a classic technique used in idiographic research?

  Case study
• Why is idiographic research considered unscientific by some?

  It produces unreliable and non-generalizable data
• What is a key characteristic of idiographic data?

  It is rich and detailed
• What is a limitation of idiographic research?

  It can be time-consuming and biased
• How can idiographic and nomothetic approaches complement each other?

  By integrating general trends with individual insights
• What is a practical application of idiographic research?

  Client-centered therapy
• What is a common criticism of nomothetic research methods?

  They may oversimplify complex human behavior
• What is the role of case studies in psychological research?

  To provide in-depth insights into individual experiences
• How do idiographic studies contribute to nomothetic research?

  They can generate hypotheses for larger studies
• What is the significance of the humanistic approach in idiographic research?

  It emphasizes the uniqueness of human experience
• What is the relationship between idiographic and nomothetic methods?

  They reflect opposite strengths and weaknesses
• What is the impact of nomothetic research on mental health treatments?

  It has led to effective drug treatments
• How does the use of quantitative data affect nomothetic research?

  It enhances reliability but may reduce validity
• What is a potential bias in idiographic research?

  Researcher interpretation may influence results
• What is the significance of the psychodynamic approach in idiographic research?

  It uses case studies to explore individual behavior
• How can the integrative approach enhance psychological research?

  By combining insights from both methods
• What is the role of statistical analysis in nomothetic research?

  To assess significance of findings
• What is the importance of understanding both idiographic and nomothetic approaches?

  It leads to a more holistic understanding of behavior