Learning Objectives

1
Learning Objectives

• To know strengths and limitations of the
  idiographic and nomothetic approaches
• To understand whether or not idiographic and
  nomothetic approaches are complementary or
  conflicting

Do Now Review your knowledge and understanding
of free will and determinism in preparation for a
mini-test !
2
Starter quiz

1. What is the difference between hard and soft
   determinism?
2. What are two problems with the concept of free
   will
3. Why is determinism compatible with the scientific
   approach?

3
Starter answers

• Hard determinism is the view that free will is an
  illusion and that behaviour is totally
  predictable and determined. Soft determinism is
  the view that each of us acts consistently within
  our own character. The essential difference is
  that soft determinism brings an element of free
  will or that soft determinism is not freedom from
  cause but it is freedom from coercion.
• The most likely problems are
• inconsistent with the assumptions of science
  and its implications
• no agreed definition and implications for
  psychology as a science
• the problem of testing free will and
  implications for psychology as a science.
• Less likely answers but acceptable are
• Free will cannot be seen as the opposite of
  determinism as that would imply that behaviour is
  random and unpredictable.
• Denying the existence of free will is
  problematic people believe that they have free
  will.
• Psychological reactance suggests that people
  believe that they have free will no matter what
  the problem may be for scientific psychology the
  fear of freedom
• 3 Key features of the scientific approach are
  causal links, prediction and control of
  behaviour. Because determinism assumes that every
  physical event is caused then since human
  behaviour is a physical event it follows that it
  too is caused by preceding factors. Therefore,
  future events can be predicted.

4
Introduction examining the strengths of the
idiographic approach

• Read through the information you have on Bowlbys
  maternal deprivation theory and the study by
  Koluchova
• Answer the questions, be prepared to discuss them

5
Introduction feedback

• 1. Which of these is an example of (a) an
  idiographic approach Koluchova (b) a nomothetic
  approach Bowlby
• 2. Explain your answer to Q1 The Koluchova study
  is concerned with understanding attachment
  behaviour through studying individual cases. The
  Bowlby theory is concerned with developing
  general laws of behaviour (for attachment) which
  apply to all people.
• 3. In what way does the above example highlight a
  strength of the idiographic approach? It
  provides us with a more complete understanding of
  the individual, especially in unusual but
  naturally occurring cases. It helps to shed
  further light on general laws of behaviour.
• Extension question does this case study help to
  provide evidence for the argument that the two
  approaches are conflicting or complementary? It
  provides evidence that they are complementary
  because the Koluchova study provides us with
  further information on the general laws of
  behaviour. It shows us in this case that extreme
  maternal deprivation can be reversible (it was
  thought to be because the twins had one another
  for emotional support and the foster family they
  were placed with were very caring)

6
Main Task Cut and Stick

• Follow the instructions at the top of the sheet
  in order to provide yourself with a complete set
  of notes on the evaluation of the idiographic and
  nomothetic approaches

7
() Findings can act as a source of ideas or
hypotheses for later study e.g. Piaget studied
his own children and this became his inspiration
for further research into cognitive development
(-) nomothetic approaches lose the whole person
e.g. being told you have a 1 in 100 chance of
developing sz is of no help to a person who wants
to be able to predict their own behaviour
Idiographic
(-) only gives a superficial understanding of a
person, two people may score as extrovert but
they may have arrived at the same score by
scoring on completely different items to one
another although, some psychologists say that
although they are not precise they do provide us
with a close psychological fit
(-) generalisations cannot be made to a wider
population e.g. Freud used an idiographic case
study method for his theory of personality yet he
argues it can be applied to all humans
(-) hard to replicate methods of research are
subjective, flexible and unstandardised,
therefore the idiographic approach is regarded as
unscientific
Nomothetic
(-) predictions made of group results may not
apply to any one individuals behaviour
() Provides a more global and complete
understanding of the individual rather than the
nomothetic approach e.g. the study of Little Hans
provides a detailed account of the origin and
development of Hans fear
() Compatible with scientific psychology.
Emphasis is on precise measurement, prediction
and control of behaviour which allow for
replicability and generalisabilty
() It is possible to explain naturally occurring
but unusual cases e.g. the Koluchova twins for
maternal deprivation or Clive Wearing for
selective impairment of brain function
8
Learning Objectives

• To know strengths and limitations of the
  idiographic and nomothetic approaches
• To understand whether or not idiographic and
  nomothetic approaches are complementary or
  conflicting

Summarise your learning by writing down three
questions (and answers) which test knowledge of
the learning objectives (above) which we have
covered today
9
Homework

• This is our last lesson on the idiographic and
  nomothetic debate
• We only have Psychology as a Science left to
  cover
• Your homework this week is to find four topics
  two which are clearly idiographic in their
  approach and two which are nomothetic, you need
  to make a note of these and bring them in to
  MONDAY 23rd APRILs lesson
• We will discuss your topics at the beginning of
  this lesson and then explore the mark scheme
  ready for you to complete your essay