Sociological Theory Vocabulary

noun the act of causing someone to be confused or bewildered

• The scientist's findings led to a great deal of mystification among his colleagues.
• I'm still in a state of mystification after watching that magic trick.
• I was totally mystified by the ending of that movie.
• The artist's abstract painting left viewers in a state of mystification as they tried to decipher its meaning.

adjective relating to or involving the formulation of general laws or principles, as distinguished from idiosyncratic or particular instances

• The nomothetic approach in psychology aims to establish general laws or principles that apply to a group of individuals.
• Researchers using the nomothetic method study large groups of people to find common patterns or trends.
• Nomothetic research is all about finding the 'big picture' in a scientific study.
• In a nomothetic sense, we can see how certain societal norms shape our behaviors and beliefs.