Idiographic and Nomethetic

• what is the idiographic approach?

  • Describes the nature of the individual (‘s experience)
  • Does not aim to generate (universal) laws about behaviour
• how does the idiographic approach work?

  Uses methods that produce qualitative data: case studies, unstructured observations and interviews
• what does ideos mean?

  self/private
• what approach is ideographic

  Humanistic approach

  • Rogers based his ideas on the development of the self from the detail he gained from in-depth conversations from clients in therapy.
• what is the nomothetic approach?

  The nomothetic approach is a research method that focuses on identifying general laws or principles that apply to a group or population.
• what is an example of nomothetic approaches in psychology?

  high testosterone and aggression

  • This data can be compared, measured and classified - and then enables us to predicting and control future behaviour