Which knowledge is gained through the scientific approach?

Which knowledge is gained through the scientific approach?

• A. Nomothetic
• B. Ideographic
• C. Epistemic
• D. Empirical

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that science aims to produce knowledge that generalizes beyond a single case. Nomothetic knowledge refers to general laws or principles that apply across many situations and can be tested, replicated, and used to predict outcomes. This fits the scientific approach, which seeks patterns and regularities that hold across populations. Ideographic knowledge, by contrast, focuses on the unique details of individual cases and contexts, without aiming for broad generalization. Epistemic concerns the nature and justification of knowledge itself, not a specific type of knowledge produced by science. Empirical describes knowledge derived from observation, which is a hallmark of science, but the question targets the kind of knowledge science yields—generalizable and law-like—making nomothetic the best fit.

The main idea is that science aims to produce knowledge that generalizes beyond a single case. Nomothetic knowledge refers to general laws or principles that apply across many situations and can be tested, replicated, and used to predict outcomes. This fits the scientific approach, which seeks patterns and regularities that hold across populations.

Ideographic knowledge, by contrast, focuses on the unique details of individual cases and contexts, without aiming for broad generalization. Epistemic concerns the nature and justification of knowledge itself, not a specific type of knowledge produced by science. Empirical describes knowledge derived from observation, which is a hallmark of science, but the question targets the kind of knowledge science yields—generalizable and law-like—making nomothetic the best fit.