Nomothetic vs idiographic

• What is the idiographic approach?

  It focuses on studying individuals in order to understand human behaviour. There is no attempt to generalise to a wider group.
• methods of investigation for the idiographic approach?

  case studies, self-report methods like unstructured interviews.
• What is the nomothetic approach?

  This attempts to study behaviour through the development of universal laws and general principles.
• methods of investigation for the nomothetic approach?

  uses experiments with large groups of people, such as questionnaire with large numbers
• examples of the idiographic approach

  humanistic, psychodynamic (Freud), Rogers and Maslow
• examples of the nomothetic approach

  behaviourist (Skinner), Cognitive (memory), Biological (brain scans and schizophrenia).
• negative of the idiographic approach?

  it can lead to a narrow and restricted view on behaviour. Approaches like the psychodynamic approach were developed after studying less than 20 case studies. EG: the Oedipus Complex was developed after 1 case study. Therefore, this approach doesn’t generate enough scientific data from which we can draw objective conclusions.
• positive of the idiographic approach?


  It uses in-depth qualitative methods of investigation. This approach may contribute to out overall understanding of the topic area.
• positive of the nomothetic approach?

  Processes in this approach are usually more scientific. It uses methods similar to the natural sciences. It tests in standardised settings to generate data that produces averages, which means that it can be statistically analysed.