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An Idiothetic Analysis of Behavioral Decision Making

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Perspectives on Methodology in Consumer Research

Abstract

The need to develop methods for studying individuals has been evident for nearly fifty years. The vast majority of research in the social sciences has focused on aggregate level analyses, in which inferences are drawn about groups of individuals, considered as a whole. As Allport (1937) noted, the understanding of behavior at the aggregate level does not necessarily yield understanding of behavior at the individual (idiographic) level. When nomothetic (aggregate-based) principles are applied to individuals, there frequently exists considerable error. Because of such limitations, Allport suggested the creation of methodologies that would allow the social scientist to study the behavior of individuals.

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Authors
  1. James Jaccard
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  2. Gregory Wood
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marketing, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, 12222, USA

    David Brinberg

  2. Department of Marketing, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA

    Richard J. Lutz

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© 1986 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Jaccard, J., Wood, G. (1986). An Idiothetic Analysis of Behavioral Decision Making. In: Brinberg, D., Lutz, R.J. (eds) Perspectives on Methodology in Consumer Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8609-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8609-4_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8611-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-8609-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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