Professor Cay notes that respondent Mary Ginger is a 54 year old grandmother who has two grandchildren living in her household. Neither of the grandchildren's parents live with them although Mary is the maternal grandmother. Cay also learns that Ginger had to quit her job in order to stay home with the young grandchildren because Ginger feared leaving the two youngsters with a baby-sitter or in child care. Two of Ginger's friends were dealing with similar situations and a third friend was considering whether to obtain custody of her grandchild. Thus, Cay learned that Ginger wasn't feeling "alone" in caring for her grandchildren. Using this information alone, it sounds like Professor Cay is doing:_____________
a. a case-oriented nomothetic analysis
b. a case-oriented idiographic analysis
c. a variable-oriented nomothetic analysis
d. a variable-oriented idiographic analysis
e. a cross-case analysis

Idiographic or nomothetical strategies reflect two different strategies to the social awareness. A system of idiography relies on the specific cases or incidents. For example, anthropologists analyse the small details of daily life to create an overarching picture of a particular ethnic group or culture.

The idiographical framework to character implies that we all have a mental framework specific to us. Many characteristics, or variations of characteristics, may be possessed by just one individual and it is therefore hard to compare individuals like them.