AO1

• Nomothetic approach — Seeks to formulate general laws of behaviour based on the study of groups and the use of statistical
• Psychologists who adopt a Nomothetic approach are mainly concerned with studying what we share with others. That is to say in establishing laws or generalizations. Tend to use quantitative methods.
• Idiographic approach — A method of investigating behaviour which focuses on individuals and emphasises their uniqueness.
• Examples of the Idiographic Approach:

  • The psychodynamic approach: Freud used case studies and in-depth interviews to collect qualitative data from Little Hans; data which later formed the basis of the Oedipus and Electra complexes. However, Freud also established his psychosexual stages of development on the basis of similar research methods, arguing that all children pass through the same sequence of stages. This is more similar to a nomothetic approach.
• Examples of the Nomothetic Approach:

  • The cognitive approach uses objective methods of measuring brain activity, such as EEG and PET scans. This allows cognitive psychologists to draw inferences about the workings of mental processes.