PsychExchange.co.uk Shared Resource

Idiographic Vs

NomotheticPSYB4

Idiographic Vs Nomothetic ApproachLearning Objectives:

• Understand what is meant by the idiographic and nomothetic approaches

• Evaluate the idiographic and nomothetic approaches

• Explain why the idiographic and nomothetic approaches are complimentary to one and other

Idiographic Vs Nomothetic

Idiographic• Focus on the individual

and recognition of uniqueness.

• Private, subjective and conscious experiences.

• Investigations gain written information unique to individual being studied

Nomothetic• Attempts to establish

laws & generalisations about people.

• Objective knowledge through scientific methods.

• Investigations gain numerical data or data that can be categorised.

The approach used will lead to different data being collected

• Suggests everyone is unique and therefore every one should be studied in an individual way.

AO1 - Idiographic

• No general laws are possible because of chance, free will and the uniqueness of individuals.

• Tends to include qualitative data, investigating individuals in a personal and detailed way.

• Methods of research include: _____________ __________________________________________________________________________

AO1 - Idiographic

This is a HOLISTIC approach• Humanism best embodies this approach, but

psychoanalysis can also be said to be idiographic

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. Consider: method used? scientific? validity and reliability? whether generalisations can be made?

AO1 - Idiographic

Provides a more complete understanding of the individual.

Satisfies a key aim of science – description and understanding of behaviour.

The focuses mean the individual feels valued and unique.

Evidence from a single case study can challenge scientific findings/theory and form the basis and ideas for further scientific study.

Unique individuals allow us to study problems we could not create on a mass scale in a lab e.g. Phineas Gage

AO2 – Idiographic Strengths

Difficult to generalise from detailed subjective knowledge about one person

Often regarded as non-scientific as subjective experience cannot be empirically tested and lacks reliability (replication)

Largely neglects biological, especially genetic, influences

AO2 – Idiographic Weaknesses

• Focuses on similarities between people.• Attempts to establish laws and generalisations

about people.

AO1 - Nomothetic

There are 3 kinds of general laws of human behaviour:

• Classifying people in to groups– i.e. the DSM-IV having criteria for Schizophrenia

• Establishing principles of behaviour:– i.e. establishing that not only the Nazi’s were people capable

of the obscene acts in world war 2 (obedience theories)

• Establishing dimensions on which people can be placed and compared on – i.e. comparing people due to IQ or Eysenck’s personality types

AO1 - Nomothetic

• Uses scientific and quantitative data.• Usually uses experiments and observations.• Group averages are statistically analysed to

create predictions about people in general.

AO1 - Nomothetic

Task

• Choose a study that you have learnt about in psychology (i.e on memory, obedience, conformity, Developmental etc..)

• Outline the general procedure/methods and the results and conclusions from the study.

• Justify why this uses a nomothetic over a idiographic approach.

Ideas for Task:

• Milgram (obedience), Asch (conformity),

• Justification: They apply a general law to human behaviour based on EMPIRICAL evidence gathered from studied that test hypothesis.

Regarded as scientific as it is: precise measurement; prediction and control of behaviour; investigations of large groups; objective and controlled methods allowing replication and generalisation.

Has helped psychology as a whole become scientific by developing laws and theories which can be empirically tested.

Combines biological and social aspects.

AO2 – Nomothetic Strengths

Predictions can be made about groups but these may not apply to individuals.Approach has been accused of losing sight of the ‘whole person’.Gives a superficial understanding – people may act the same but for different reasons.Extensive use of controlled laboratory experiments creates a lack of generalisation to everyday life.

AO2 – Nomothetic Weaknesses

Which approach is best to use in psychology?

Psychology – ‘the scientific study of mind and behaviour’ Consider the aims of science:-

1. To describe2. To understand3. To predict 4. To control

Idiographic methods may be more suitable for?Nomothetic methods may be more suitable for?

Clearly both approaches and methods of study are needed for a complete understanding of Psychology

• Both have a role but relative value of each depends on the purpose of the research.

• Two approaches can be complementary – idiographic can further develop a nomothetic law.

• Both can contribute to scientific approach – idiographic suited to description; nomothetic to predictions.

Idiographic/Nomothetic Working Together

Idiographic/Nomothetic Working Together

As pointed out by Kluckholm & Murray (1953):-

“ every person is in some respects is like no other person, like some other people, like all other people.”

Both idiographic methods (to consider the uniqueness of the individuals behaviour) and nomothetic methods (to consider the similarities between the individual and others) are needed for a complete understanding of human behaviour.

So they are indeed complementary in psychology!

Idiographic enquiry can enrich theories derived from nomothetic studies:

Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation was established through a nomothetic approach and stated that extreme maternal deprivation shall lead to permanent long term negative affects on development.

HOWEVER:A case study of Czech twins showed maternal deprivation is not irreversible. The identical twins had spent most of their first seven years of life locked in a cellar. When they were found they could not understand language and were in a very poor physical condition. They were fostered and by the age of 14 they were normal!

Idiographic/Nomothetic Working Together

Idiographic can also serve as a source of ideas or hypotheses for later studies conducted in a nomothetic way:

Piaget’s findings from his own children became source of inspiration for his theories of cognitive development.

Broca’s area resulted from a single patient case study and has since been investigated and supported on a nomothetic level

Idiographic/Nomothetic Working Together

Psychodynamic: idiographic or nomothetic?

• Although Freud’s methods were very idiographic in nature (case studies, interpretation etc..) he generalised his results to other people. (A01)

• This is a major flaw in his research as he tired to generalise without using scientific methods! (A02)

• Although he used TRAINGLUATION TECHNIQUES, via interviewing the person, their family and their doctors to establish their biological and anthropological evidence. He also used evidence from cultural and artefacts such as stories and jokes. Because of this he claimed that his theories are generalisable.(A02)

Task: Where do the approaches stand?

APPROACH NOMOTHETIC IDIOGRAPHIC

Psychodynamic

Behaviourist

Cognitive

Humanistic

Biological

APPROACH NOMOTHETIC IDEOGRAPHIC

Psychodynamic ✘ ✔

Behaviourist ✔ ✘

Cognitive ✔ ✔

Humanistic ✘ ✔

Biological ✔ ✘

Review Questions

1. Explain if the biological approach is more idiographic or more nomothetic?

2. Give a reason as to why Freud can not generalise his results?

3. Why did he argue that he could?4. What approach is thought to be both idiographic

and nomothetic?5. Give an example of how idiographic and

nomothetic approaches can be complementary.

Short exam questions:

1. Identify two features of the idiographic approach (2 marks)

2. Briefly explain one strength and one limitation of the nomothetic approach (2 marks)

3. Some psychologists would suggest that the argument over which approach is better is not productive because both approaches are needed. Give support of this claim (4 marks).

Identify two features of the idiographic approach (2 marks)

The approach suggests everyone is unique and therefore every one should be studied in an individual way (1 mark).This approach also proposes that no general laws are possible because of chance, free will and the uniqueness of individuals (1 mark).

Briefly explain one strength and one limitation of the nomothetic approach (2 marks)

A strength of this approach is that it has helped psychology as a whole become scientific by developing laws and theories which can be empirically tested (1 mark).However, a limitation is that the approach has been accused of losing sight of the ‘whole person’ as it gives a superficial understanding of people– people may act the same but for different reasons (1 mark).

Some psychologists would suggest that the argument over which approach is better is not productive because both approaches

are needed. Give support of this claim (4 marks).

The two approaches can be complementary – an idiographic approach can further develop a nomothetic law as both have a role in fulfilling the aims of science, but their relative value depends on the purpose of the research (1 mark). The idiographic approach is especially useful at the start of the scientific process of gathering knowledge where we are at the stage of wanting to describe subject matter and make predictions about it as it can result in ideas and hypothesis for investigation (1 mark). The nomothetic approach is most useful later on when we want to be able to predict and control behaviour (1 mark). For example Piaget’s findings from his own children became source of inspiration for his theories of cognitive development. (1 mark)

Essay title

Nomothetic and idiographic approaches are both needed for a complete study of psychology.’

Discuss this statement with reference to at least one topic area in psychology.(12 marks)