Idiographic and Nomothetic Approaches – Questions by Topic
Q1.
What is a ‘nomothetic approach’? Suggest one limitation of a nomothetic approach.
(Total 2 marks)
Q2.
Read the item and then answer the question that follows.
A prison psychologist used an idiographic approach to study offending. He
asked two offenders to record their thoughts about their childhood and their
offending behaviour in a journal over a period of four weeks.
Qualitative analysis of the journals showed that the offenders often thought
about sad childhood events and believed that their childhood experiences
had influenced their offending.
Findings from idiographic research like the study described above are often
used as a basis for other investigations.
Explain how the researcher might develop the above investigation through taking a
nomothetic approach.
(Total 6 marks)
AQA Psychology A-level 1 PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
Q1.
What is a ‘nomothetic approach’? Suggest one limitation of a nomothetic approach.
(Total 2 marks)
Q2.
Read the item and then answer the question that follows.
A prison psychologist used an idiographic approach to study offending. He
asked two offenders to record their thoughts about their childhood and their
offending behaviour in a journal over a period of four weeks.
Qualitative analysis of the journals showed that the offenders often thought
about sad childhood events and believed that their childhood experiences
had influenced their offending.
Findings from idiographic research like the study described above are often
used as a basis for other investigations.
Explain how the researcher might develop the above investigation through taking a
nomothetic approach.
(Total 6 marks)
AQA Psychology A-level 1 PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com
