Idiographic and Nomothetic methods

• What is the Nomothetic approach?

  Trying to establish general laws for everyone
• What is the idiographic approach?

  Where there is a focus on individual differences
• What research method is good for nomothetic?

  • Experiments
  • Correlational studies
• Nomothetic methods use quantitative data because they are trying to establish general laws about an entire population.
• Name two idiographic methods of data collection (produce qualitative data)

  • Unstructured interviews
  • open questions
• What research method is typically idiographic?

  Case studies
• Which of the approaches primarily use nomothetic methods?

  • Behaviourist
  • Social learning theory
  • Biological
  • Cognitive
• Which approach says that psychology should only ever be idiographic?

  Humanistic
• The psychodynamic approach aims for nomothetic theories, but only uses idiographic methods
• One argument in favour of nomothetic methods is that they are more scientific, because they aim to establish general laws, which allow us to make conclusions. On the other hand, idiographic methods are often criticised for being unscientific, because they don’t try to establish general laws.
• Idiographic methods are often more feasible as they require less participants and therefore less money.
• Idiographic methods are often criticised because they do not aim to establish general laws. But, by providing greater insight into an individual, idiographic methods might actually allow better predictions, as Allport argued. However, nomothetic methods are often preferred, when they are feasible, because they are seen as more scientific.
• Why is it incorrect to debate Nomothetic or idiographic?

  • Scientific process needs both
  • Some methods combine lots of detail with lots of participants.