Case Studies Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is a case studies
detailed study if a single individua, group of people or event
What are features of a case study
individualistic, idiographic and longitudinal
How are case studies kept ethical
by making sure individuals are not identifiable this cam be done by using a different name or initials
What are strengths of case studies
- longitudinal
- investigate cases of rare behaviour
- high egological validity
- investigate natural occurring events
Evaluate longitudinal as a strength of case studies
- longitudinal
- so large amount of data is gathered over a long period. This offers rich in depth info
- strength as such data can provide insights to tje complex interaction of many factors. gives great depth and understanding of a single individual
Evaluate the ability to study rare cases as a strength of case studies
- used to invesyigate instances of human behaviour that is rare
- such cases enable researchers to see what effects such disruption has on emotional development in circumstances that wouldn’t be ethical to study experimentally
Evaluate the natural observation as a strength of case studies
- ppts is studied in their own environment
- strength because case studies have high external validity
Evaluate the investigation of naturally occurring events as a strength of case studies
- investigate naturally occurring events that would be unethical to test during an experiment
- strength because they can provide insights into areas of psychology that we wouldn’t be able to investigate in any other way
What are limitations of Case studies
- difficult to generalise
- ethical issues
- uses self report data
- cant replicate
- researcher bias
Evaluate generalisation as a limitation of case studies
- difficult to generalise as each one is about unique characteristics
Evaluate ethical issues ads a limitation of case studies
- ethical issues such as informed consent and confidentiality
- many cases are easily identifiable by their unique characteristics even when names aren’t given. Psychological harm may also be an issue for example Clive Wearing was tested repeatedly over decades
Evaluate the use of self report data as a limitation of Case studies
- techniques used during case studies require ppts to recall information from months/years ago
- people may not accurately recall info or may wish to be seen in a favourable light and provide social desirability answers
- limitation as is may reduce the internal validity of the research
Evaluate difficulty to replicate as limitation of case studies
- cases are very unique so they are almost impossible to replicate
- this means is not possible to test the external reliability of the findings
Evaluate researcher bias as a limitation of case studies
- they are usually longitudinal so the researcher may get to know the individual well which may lead to loss of objectivity
- limitation because if this happens it would reduce the internal validity of the study
