case studies

Question 1

what is a case study?

Answer 1

Case studies are in-depth investigations of a single person, group, event or community.

Question 2

how is data gathered?

Answer 2

observations, interviews, past records

Question 3

features of a case study?

Answer 3

• They study that sample in depth.
• A type of descriptive research where independent and dependent variables are not used to test cause and effect.
• They focus on a sample of either one individual, group or organisation.

Question 4

uses of case studies

Answer 4

• A typical Behaviour/Conditions: Autism, brain damage, obsessive-compulsive disorder etc.
• Unusual Situations: Feral children etc.
• Usually small samples as not many people/
  organisations are affected.
• Give in-depth insight, so may choose to do a case study despite the large target population available.

Question 5

what are the strengths of case studies?

Answer 5

• Offer high levels of validity as they go into the depth and give insight.

-They allow researchers to study events or
complex psychological areas they could not practically or ethically manipulate.

• If large numbers of people are unavailable or don’t exist.
• Learn about issues not yet understood
• Efficient as it only takes one case study to
  disprove a theory.

Question 6

what are the weaknesses of case studies?

Answer 6

• Small samples make it difficult to
  generalise.
• Bias: researchers can become too involved and lose their objectivity:
  misinterpreting or influencing outcomes.
• Often after the event, so can be difficult to establish cause & effect.
• Lack of control: extraneous variables can
  effect outcome.