idiographic / nomothetic approaches

• Idiographic approach


  Focuses on understanding the unique aspects of an individual's personality, experiences, and behaviors
• Idiographic approach


  • Uses qualitative methods such as case studies, in-depth interviews, and personal narratives
• Where idiographic approach is commonly applied

  • Clinical psychology, counseling, and psychotherapy to develop personalized treatment plans and understand individual differences
• Idiographic approach


  • Provides a deep understanding of individual uniqueness and complexity
• Idiographic approach


  • Findings are often not generalizable to the wider population
• Nomothetic approach


  Seeks to identify general laws and principles that apply to large groups of people, emphasizing commonalities
• Nomothetic approach


  • Uses quantitative methods such as surveys, experiments, and statistical analysis
• Where nomothetic approach is widely used


  • Experimental psychology, social psychology, and personality psychology to develop theories and models that explain broad human behavior
• Nomothetic approach


  • Allows for generalization and the development of universal laws and theories, predicting and explaining behavior across large groups
• Nomothetic approach


  • May overlook individual differences and the complexity of personal experiences
• Example of idiographic approach


  • A therapist uses detailed case studies to understand a patient's unique history and tailor their therapy accordingly
• Example of nomothetic approach

  • Researchers conduct large-scale surveys to study the relationship between stress and health outcomes, aiming to derive general principles that apply to the population
• Integrating idiographic and nomothetic approaches

  Recognizing both the uniqueness of individuals and the commonalities shared among them, providing a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior