Flashcards
Idiographic vs Nomothetic
Cards in this deck (9)
- 1IdiographicIdios = Private or personal
An approach to research that focuses more on the individual case as a means of understanding behaviour
Everyone has unique characteristics - 2Methods of research - Idiographic -Case Studies
Unstructured interviews
Self-reports
Autobiographies
Personal documents
Opinionated methods = Qualitative - 3Idiographic - Evaluation -+ Provide a more complete understanding of the individual
+ May shed further light on general laws
+ Satisfies the key aim of science - description and understanding of behaviour
- Narrow and restricted
- Open to bias
- Subjective - 4NomotheticNomos = Law
Attempts to study human behaviours through developments of general principles and universal laws
Focuses on the similarities between people
Laws can be divided into 3 kinds - 5Nomothetic laws Radford and Kirby - 19751 - Classifying people into groups
eg: DSM 5
2 - Establishing principles
eg: behaviourist approach to learning
3 - Establishing dimensions
eg: Eysenck's personality inventory - 6Methods of investigation - Nomothetic -Scientific and quantitative data
Experiments and observations
Group averages are statistically analysed to create predictions about people in general - 7Nomothetic - Evaluation -+ Regarded as scientific
+ Combines biological and social aspects
+ Helps psychology become more scientific
- Predictions can be made for groups but may not apply to individuals
- Extensive use of controlled environments = lacks generalisation
- One size does not fit all - 8Idiographic vs NomotheticI = Focuses on individual
N = Focuses on the group
I = Private and subjective
N = Scientific and objective
I = Qualitative methods
N = Quantitative methods - 9LINKSMATERNAL DEPRIVATION
= nomothetic
MEMORY
= Case studies = idiographic and nomothetic (complimentary)
HUMANISTIC
Emphasises individual = idiographic
PSYCHODYNAMIC
Case studies = idographic
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- Issues and Debates - Idiographic vs Nomothetic
- Created by
- Chanelle Titchener
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