Idiographic and nomothetic

• Why is finding a valid explanation of the world tricky in psychology?

  Because human experiences are complex and varied
• What do most psychologists believe is the best mechanism to find truth?

  The scientific method
• What is the first step in the scientific method according to psychologists?

  Construct a theory
• What is the athentic approach in psychology?

  Testing a theory by altering one variable
• How does the idiographic approach differ from the athentic approach?

  Idiographic focuses on individual experiences
• Why might the idiographic approach provide a more valid understanding of behavior?

  It studies unique individual experiences in depth
• What are the two main approaches to psychological investigation?

  • Idiographic approach
  • Nomothetic approach
• What does the term 'nomothetic' mean in psychology?

  Establishing general laws of behavior
• What is the main research method used by nomothetic researchers?

  Carefully controlled experiments
• What type of data do nomothetic approaches 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 theories primarily use nomothetic methods?

  Behaviorism, social learning, biological, cognitive
• What is the classic non-experimental technique used by idiographic researchers?

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

  It produces unreliable and non-generalizable data
• What type of data does idiographic research typically produce?

  Qualitative data
• What is a key characteristic of idiographic research?

  Focus on individual subjective experiences
• How do idiographic and nomothetic approaches complement each other?

  They provide a holistic understanding of behavior
• Who are two key figures in humanistic psychology?

  Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow
• What is a practical application of the idiographic approach?

  Client-centered therapy
• How can case studies inform nomothetic research?

  They can generate hypotheses for larger studies
• What is a limitation of idiographic research regarding time?

  It can be very time-consuming to conduct
• How can bias affect idiographic research?

  Researcher interpretation may influence findings
• What is the integrative approach in psychological research?

  Combining idiographic and nomothetic methods
• How has the nomothetic approach helped in treating mental health conditions?

  It provides confidence in prescribing effective drugs
• How did Skinner and Pavlov use nomothetic methods?

  Through highly controlled experiments on animals
• What is the significance of case studies in idiographic research?

  They provide insights into unique experiences
• What is the role of qualitative data in idiographic research?

  It captures rich, detailed individual experiences
• Why is the humanistic approach considered idiographic?

  It emphasizes individual subjective experiences
• How can idiographic findings lead to nomothetic research?

  They can generate hypotheses for larger studies
• What is the impact of using both idiographic and nomothetic approaches?

  It leads to a more holistic understanding