Idiographic & Nomothetic

• Describe the idiographic approach (4m)

  Involves the study of individuals and the unique insights each individual gives us about human behaviour. It argues that generalising from person to person is difficult because of their uniqueness. As such, it is therefore irrelevant to try to develop universal laws of behaviour. The approach is generally associated with methods that produce qualitative data, such as case studies, unstructured interviews and thematic analysis.
• What is a nomothetic approach and suggest one limitation(2m)

  Involves studying in order to formulate general laws/principles of behaviour (or similar). A limitation is that it cannot find out rich/ in-depth information about single cases.
• Use an example of a research study you have learned & outline what is meant by a nomothetic approach (4m)

  It involves studying a (large) sample of participants. Using the findings to generate or substantiate general laws/models of behaviour and make generalisations about a wider population & predictions. Ainsworth tested infants using the strange situation to propose three attachment types and Milgram tested a sample of participants to propose his theory of situational obedience.
• How could you conduct an idiographic study (2m)

  A case study could be used, e.g. on a mother and baby to study their unique attachment behaviours instead of using the strange situation by Ainsworth.
• Evaluate the idiographic approach (4m)


  One strength is the fact that involving case studies or qualitative research (interviews/surveys) take an evidence-based approach and seek to be objective. For example, qualitative approach use reflexivity to identify the influence of any biases. A limitation is the fact it may not always be scientific, e.g. the humanistic approach is not sufficiently evidence based, which can mean it is unable to produce general predictions about behaviour.
• Discuss one strength of the nomothetic approach (4m)

  It is considered as generally scientific. The use of quantitative methods, controlled measurement under standardised conditions and the ability to predict behaviour, are all seen as strengths of the nomothetic approach. Furthermore, controlled methods allow for replication to examine the reliability of findings which has helped psychology establish itself as a science discipline. The development of theories and empirical testing are just one of the key features of science that are employed by the nomothetic approach.
• Outline one problem of the idiographic approach to research (2m)

  Idiographic: unscientific. it is unable to produce general laws or predictions about human behaviour and that severely limits its usefulness as a source of practical knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
• Outline one problem of the nomothetic approach to research (2m)


  Nomothetic: it loses sight of the whole person due to its fixation on quantitative data and statistical analysis, providing a superficial understanding of human behaviour. E.g. in lab studies involving tests of memory, participants are treated as a series of scores rather than individual people, and their subjective experience of the situation is ignored.