Practical Examples and Evaluation of Idiographic and Nomothetic Approaches

This page presents specific examples of idiographic and nomothetic research in psychology and evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Idiographic Research Example: Koluchova's study of twin boys locked in a cupboard from 18 months to 7 years old. After being rescued and placed in a loving family, they fully recovered, challenging the notion of a critical period for psychological damage.

Highlight: This case study demonstrates the power of idiographic research to provide in-depth insights into unique situations and generate hypotheses about human resilience and development.

Nomothetic Research Example: Research on using SSRIs to treat depression, which involves lab experiments and brain scans to understand how these drugs prevent the reabsorption of serotonin, increasing its levels at synapses.

Highlight: This example showcases how nomothetic approaches can lead to broad, generalizable findings with practical applications in medical treatments.

Evaluation of Approaches:

1. Gardner and Gardner's study teaching sign language to a chimpanzee:

   • Classified as idiographic due to its focus on a single subject and qualitative data collection
   • Demonstrates how idiographic research can generate insights applicable to broader populations

2. Eysenck's personality theory:

   • Exemplifies the nomothetic approach, using personality questionnaires to measure traits across large samples
   • Shows how nomothetic methods can develop comprehensive theories applicable to diverse populations

Highlight: Both idiographic and nomothetic approaches have valuable roles in psychological research. The choice between them depends on research goals, with many studies benefiting from a combination of both methodologies.