Case studies

Question 1

case studies

Answer 1

• involves the detailed investigation of a single individual,, group or institution
• may be cus psychologist has only found one or more two individuals who display this rare/ fascinating behaviour
• provide rich, detailed, qualitative data compared to other research methods
• can last weeks, months or years = longitudinal - observe changes over a period of time
• collect qualitative data and/ or qualitative data

Question 2

ads of case studies

Answer 2

• create opportunities for a rich yield of data + depth of analysis can in turn bring high levels of validity
• studying abnormal psychology can give insight into how something works when it is functioning correctly, such as brain damage on memory
• the detail collected on a single case may lead to interesting findings that conflict with current theories, and stimulate new paths for research.

Question 3

disads of case studies

Answer 3

• there is little control over a number of variables involved in a case study, so it is difficult to confidently establish any causal relationships between variables
• case studies are unusual by nature, so will have poor reliability as being able to replicate them exactly will be unlikely
• due to the small sample size, it is unlikely that findings from a case study alone can be generalised to the wider population.