nomothetic

• psychologists are concerened with establishing general laws of human behaviour based on the study of large groups of people and the use of statistucal, quantative techniques to analyse data
• believe in the creation of strict reliable principles of behaviour that can be generalised across a wider population
• use research methods which produce quantative data and statistical techniques to analyse data
• the results of the research will be used to explain behaviour in all people
• e.g. banduras bobo doll experiment – strict conditions (lab experiment) – large (ish) numbers of participants – led to the development of social learning theory

  ainsworth

  Romanian orphans

  Lorenz / harlow