Individual differences (area)

• Individual differences approach - everyone is Individual, have to study a whole range of people
• Defining principles and concepts - there is no such thing as an 'average' person as we are all different and unique (unique) In order to understand human behaviour we need to study a wide range of populations (diversity)

  Differences in people can be measured to allow comparison and generalisations to be made (measure differences)
• Main research methods - case study and self report
• Justification for these methods - the participant is able to tell you informstion that you wouldn't be able to observe, that is unique to them (self report) able to focus in more detail on one person or a small group of people (case study)
• Key research - freud, baron cohen and gould hancock
• Strength one - the principle that we can measure differences in populations is useful. It allows the development of applications to compare and categorise people e.g. personality and intelligence
• Strength two - learn more as we stidy a larger variety of people who are all unique. This can increase generalisability and understanding of behaviour
• Weakness one - could be too subjective as you use a case study method - you get too involved with who you're studying
• Weakness twon- that individual differences like intelligence and personality are hard to define with many psychologists disagreeing. This raises issues with construct validity in measuring differences
• Application - the measurement of disorders. These allow people with such disorders to be diagnosed and recieve report. Autism is a livelong condition which can often go undiagnosed. Tests for children such as the Sally-anne or advanced tests such as Baron cohens 'Eyes Test' allowes sufferers to recieve support in education, work and in personal life. It can also help an adult, who has gone undiagnosed at an early age to understand why they have difficulties and that there is a reason for their differences