Table of Contents
Definition of Idiographic
(adjective) Relating to a singular case, event, or individual.
Example of Idiographic
- Researching how a student performed on a specific test.
Idiographic Pronunciation
Syllabification: id·i·o·graph·ic
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /id-ee-uh-grA-fik/
- British English – /id-iuh-grA-fik/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˌɪdioʊˈɡræfɪk/
- British English – /ɪdɪəʊˈɡrafɪk/
Usage Notes
- Idiographic is the opposite of nomothetic.
- The distinction between the idiographic and nomothetic perspective was developed by Wilhelm Windelband (1848–1915).
- Idiographic research in sociology is typically qualitative research such as ethnography or life history.
- Typically used in psychology, the (noun) idiographic approach (id·i·o·graph·ic ap·proach) refers to studying a specific individual as the basis to understand behavior in general.
- An (noun) idiograph is a characteristic of particular individual or group.
Additional Information
- Qualitative Research Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
- Quantitative Research Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
Related Terms
- analysis
- attribute
- case
- case study
- constant
- data
- ecological fallacy
- method
- observation
- operationalization
- research
Cite the Definition of Idiographic
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “idiographic.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved February 9, 2025 (https://sociologydictionary.org/idiographic/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
idiographic. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/idiographic/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “idiographic.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://sociologydictionary.org/idiographic/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“idiographic.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 9 Feb. 2025. <https://sociologydictionary.org/idiographic/>.