Individual Differences Approach

Assumptions:

- It focuses on things such as personality differences, which makes it difficult to categorise our behaviour.

- Some behaviour is normal and some abnormal.

- The studies tend to have high ecological validity - Griffiths - was a quasi experiment done in a real amusement arcade - this is a strength because the results can be applied to real life situations.

- Studies collect both quantitative and qualitative data - Thigpen and Cleckley - quantitative data from IQ and EEG, qualitative data from interviews - the data can be analysed and have indepth data to understand behaviour.

- Sample representation is low - Thigpen and Cleckley - only one participant - the findings cannot be generalised.

- There can be ethical problems - Rosenhan - the pseudo patients feld depersonalised and powerless, the participants (staff) didn't give consent and were deceived - the labelling theory stays with the patiends, and the staff could not withdraw.