---
title: Idiographic measure, Idiographic methods
description: "An idiographic measure gives a picture (“graphic”) unique to the individual (“idio”). For example, a self-characterisation narrative written by a client will be a unique picture of how they see themselves. #### Details Nomothetic measures are the complement to idiographic…"
url: "https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/idiographic-measure-idiographic-methods/"
updated: "2024-02-24"
category: All OM book glossary entries
---

# Idiographic measure, Idiographic methods

An idiographic measure gives a picture (“graphic”) unique to the individual (“idio”). For example, a self-characterisation narrative written by a client will be a unique picture of how they see themselves.

#### Details

Nomothetic measures are the complement to idiographic measures as everyone has a value that can be compared with another person's value on a nomothetic measure, e.g. we all a height and yours can be compared with mine numerically where, though we could each write a self-characterisation narrative there is no simple way to compare the story I might write about myself (you don't want to know: honest!) with yours. Of course, we could compare how long each was, compare how others might rate each, but the narratives themselves simply aren't numerically comparable.

#### Try also ..

[Card sort methods](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/card-sort-methods/)
[Idiographic vs. nomothetic: history](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/idiographic-vs-nomothetic-history/)
[Nomothetic](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/nomothetic-measures-nomothetic-data/)
[Repertory grids](https://www.psyctc.org/psyctc/glossary2/repertory-grid/)

#### Chapters

Chapter 2

#### Further reading

Nothing here yet!