IDIOGRAPHIC + NOMOTHETIC

• IDIOGRAPHIC APPROACH 


  detailed study of one individual or one group to provide in depth understanding.

  People have unique entities, each with their own subjective experiences, motivations and values.

  There is no attempt to compare these to a larger group.
• NOMOTHETIC APPROACH 


  study of larger groups with the aim of discovering norms, universal principles of 'laws' of behaviour.

  General laws provide a ‘benchmark’ against which people can be compared, classified and measured, where future behaviour can be predicted and/or controlled.

  The approach is associated with ‘scientific’ methods, such as experiments, usually involving large numbers of people to establish ways in which people are similar.

  Classifying people into groups based on characteristics, attitudes or behaviour, led to the development of the ICD-10 and DSM-5.
• IDIOGRAPHIC - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH


  number of participants is small, research might include family and friends.

  initial focus = understanding the individual, but generalisations may be based on findings.
• IDIOGRAPHIC - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH 


  E.G individual with depression might be interviewed, emergent themes identified and conclusions formed. this might help inform mental health professionals determine best practice
• IDIOGRAPHIC - LINKS 


  ROGERS concept of counselling was based on his work as a therapist. his 'theory' on the role of unconditional positive regard in self-development was based on his in-depth study of his clients.

  FREUDS explanation of phobia was based on the detailed study of Little Hans over many years
• NOMOTHETIC - QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH 


  general principles of beh. (laws) are developed which are then applied in individual situations, such as in therapy
• NOMOTHETIC - QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH 


  hypotheses are formulated, sampled of people (or animals) are gathered and data analysed for its statistical significance. the approach seeks to quantify (count) human behaviour
• NOMOTHETIC - LINKS 


  SKINNER studied animals to develop general laws of learning.

  SPERRYS split brain research involved repeated testing and was, in part, the basis for understanding hemispheric lateralisation
• OBJECTIVE VS SUBJECTIVE 


  NOMO = seeks standardised methods of assessing people. ensures true replication occurs across samples of beh. and removes the contaminating influence of bias.

  IDIO = tends not to believe that objectivity is possible in psychological research. it is peoples individual experience of their unique context that is important
• (+) NOMOTHETIC 


  A more scientific approach - testing under controlled/standardised conditions, using data that provides averages, statistical analysis, predictions and control.  

  Patterns can be ascertained (causal relationships), which in turn means interventions can reach many people, e.g. therapies for mental health.  
• (-) NOMOTHETIC 


  overlooks the richness of human experience -  it is preoccupied with general laws.  E.g. knowing there is a 1% chance of developing schizophrenia tells us little about what life is like for someone suffering from the disorder.  Also, using laboratory studies participants are treated as a series of scores rather than individual people and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored.
• (+) IDIOGRAPHIC 


  It focuses on the individual level - its rich, in depth qualitative methods of investigation.  They also prompt further research into a behaviour or phenomenon.  Allport argued that it is only by knowing the person as a person that we can predict what that person will do in any situation.
• (-) IDIOGRAPHIC 


  Time consuming - the idiographic approach is based on collecting large amount of data about one person and therefore difficult for it to be widespread.  Collecting information from large groups (e.g. nomothetic) can generate data quickly.
• (-) IDIOGRPAHIC 


   it is narrow and restrictive in nature. For example, Freud’s concept of the Oedipus complex was largely developed from the detailed study of a single case (Little Hans).  Meaningful generalisations cannot be made without further examples, as there is no adequate baseline with which to compare behaviour.  This suggests that the idiographic approach has problems of generalisation and conclusions often rely on the subjective interpretation of the researcher and therefore open to bias.
• (+) INTERACTIONIST APPROACH 


  Scientific credibility - a strength of  both approaches is that they fit with the aims of science.  Nomothetic = objective, standardised, controlled, statistical testing.  Idiographic = seek to objectify methods, e.g. triangulation - using a range of qualitative methods are compared = validity.  These both raise the status of psychology as a science
• (+) INTERACTIONIST APPROACH 


  Combined methods - HOLT (1967) argued that idiographic/nomothetic distinction is a false separation because inevitably generalisations are made.  There is no such thing as a unique individual and the idiographic approach ends up being nomothetic.  Millon and Davis (1996) suggests we should start with the nomothetic approach and once ‘laws’ have been established, they can then focus on a more idiographic understanding.