an asynchronous collaborative discussion using PowerPoint as a concept map tool, compare and contrast nomothetic and ideographic

1. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
Nomothetic Idiographic
Asynchronous Collaborative Concept Map (pass the soup, “keti”)
http://www.personal.psu.edu/rbc4/collaboration.doc

2. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
Nomothetic Idiographic
blank
“nomos”=law “idios”=private

3. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Nomothetic Idiographic
blank
generalize specify

4. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Nomothetic Idiographic
blank
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions
of course!)
Qualitative
Focus

5. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Nomothetic Idiographic
blank
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual

6. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Nomothetic Idiographic
blank
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual
To define To describe (interpret
specific events)

7. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Nomothetic Idiographic
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual
To define
Questions
You ask
data
Tests
Bio-measures
Observation tallies
etc.
Interviews
Cases
Observations
etc.
To describe (interpret
specific events)

8. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Objective Subjective
Nomothetic Idiographic
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual
To define
Questions
You ask
data
Tests
Bio-measures
Observation tallies
etc.
Interviews
Cases
Observations
etc.
Predicting &
controlling
behavior
Complete and global
understanding of an
individual
To describe (interpret
specific events)

9. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Objective Subjective
Nomothetic Idiographic
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual
To define
Questions
You ask
data
Tests
Bio-measures
Observation tallies
etc.
Interviews
Cases
Observations
etc.
Lacks ecological
validity while
suited to
predictions
Can’t be
empirically tested
while suited to
descriptions
Predicting &
controlling
behavior
Complete and global
understanding of an
individual
To describe (interpret
specific events)

10. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Objective Subjective
Nomothetic Idiographic
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual
To define
Questions
You ask
data
Tests
Bio-measures
Observation tallies
etc.
Interviews
Cases
Observations
etc.
Lacks ecological
validity while
suited to
predictions
Can’t be
empirically tested
while suited to
descriptions
Predicting &
controlling
behavior
Complete and global
understanding of an
individual
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
To describe (interpret
specific events)

11. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Objective Subjective
Nomothetic Idiographic
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual
To define
Questions
You ask
data
Tests
Bio-measures
Observation tallies
etc.
Interviews
Cases
Observations
etc.
Lacks ecological
validity while
suited to
predictions
Can’t be
empirically tested
while suited to
descriptions
Predicting &
controlling
behavior
Complete and global
understanding of an
individual
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Modernism Postmodernism
To describe (interpret
specific events)

12. Asynchronous collaborative concept map of Idiographic  Nomothetic
“nomos”=law “idios”=private
Objective Subjective
Nomothetic Idiographic
generalize specify
Quantitative
(Exceptions of course!)
Qualitative
Focus
Cohort Individual
To define
Questions
You ask
data
Tests
Bio-measures
Observation tallies
etc.
Interviews
Cases
Observations
etc.
Lacks ecological
validity while
suited to
predictions
Can’t be
empirically tested
while suited to
descriptions
Predicting &
controlling
behavior
Complete and global
understanding of an
individual
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Modernism Postmodernism
apply to as many as cases apply to confined cases
To describe (interpret
specific events)

13. DrC – where I live (a metaphor)
Each must answer this for self
woodland ecotone meadow

14. Contact chain
1. DrC: rbc4@psu.edu
2. Qing Zhang: qxz131@psu.edu
3. Shulong Yan: suy144@psu.edu
4. Brian Seely: bjs5142@psu.edu
5. Victoria Raish: vrc112@psu.edu
6. Jian Liao: jxl1089@psu.edu
7. Yong Ju Jung: yyj5102@psu.edu
8. Amy Garbrick: alh245@psu.edu

15. Ongoing comments about edits
• DrC: I just added the main topics
• QZ: I add a component “generalize” to Nomothetic, another component “Specify” to Idiographic.
• SY: I add Greek roots for those two words: “nomos” means “law” and “idios” means “private”.
• VR – I added generally quantitative for nomothetic and generally qualitative for idiographic.
• JL : I added “Cohort” for Nomothetic and “Individual” for Idiographic
• YJ : I added “to define” and “to describe (specific events)”
• DrC: I added “the kinds of questions that you want to ask and the kind of data related to the kind of
question, and did some moving around of elements
• QZ: I compare these two research methods, for Nomothetic Research, it is suited to predictions
while lacks ecological validity. For Idiographic Research, it is suited to descriptions while can’t be
empirically tested.
• SY – I add the advantages for two research method in psychological aspects. Nomothetic is better in
“predicting and controlling behavior”, but idiographic is better in “complete and global
understanding of an individual”
• Bjs – I added objective to Nomothetic and subjective to idiographic
• VR – I added natural sciences to nomothetic and social sciences to idiographic
• JL: I added “Modernism” and “Postmodernism”
• YJ : I added “apply to as many as cases” below ‘generalize’, and “apply to confined cases” below
‘specify’
• DrC: I added the ecotone metaphor as a discussion point