People who take an idiographic approach in psychology are generally referred to as humanistic or social constructionists (Tyson). Humanistic researchers tend to emphasize that every individual has distinct characteristics; they impose the question, "How is this individual like no one else?" (Tyson). Psychologists in favor of the idiographic approach conclude that a person is not simply a combination of various traits, but is a complex and integrated organism. These psychologists deem that an individual reacts accordingly to distinct circumstances with former encounters and future objectives contributing to current behavior (Idiographic Approach to Personality). Generally, idiographic approaches focus more on the qualitative data within nature rather than quantitative or group study (Diemer). Although most psychologists and scientific researchers conduct nomothetic studies, The World Psychiatric Association (WPA) has conducted studies and developed a comprehensive diagnosis/assessment that advocates idiographic components be infused with psychiatric diagnoses (Thornton). If the WPA's assessment is accepted, a psychologists diagnostic judgement will have to include both idiographic and nomothetic components instead of only nomothetic components. Due to the WPA's extensive research, idiographic principles are now being integrated into diagnosis.
"The term 'nomothetic' comes from the Greek word 'nomos' meaning 'law'. Psychologists who adopt this approach are mainly concerned with studying what we share with others. That is to say in establishing laws or generalizations" (McLeod). The nomothetic characteristics are the quantitative qualities of individuals, which is how others are in relation to one another. Psychologists that tend to focus on discovering laws or generalizations are most frequently called behaviorists or cognitive psychologists (McLeod).
