Case studies! Flashcards
Case study
Involved the detailed study of a single individual, institution or event
Used to look at unusual behaviour or look in greater detail at any kind of behaviour
Uses info from a range of sources eg person concerned of fam/friends
Many research techniques may be used: interview ppl, observe day to day life, IQ tests/ personality tests, questionaire, experimental method to test what they can/can’t do in daily life
Findings are organised into themes to represent individuals thoughts, emotions, abilities and experiences
Generally longitudinal
Eg HM: memory (Hippocampus removed= can’t form new memories)
~ Hilts, 1995
Little Hans: Freud, 1909
Case study limitation: generalise
Difficult to generalise bc such small sample
- findings could be due to indiv differences
- could be due to trauma
case study str: rich in depth info
can provide new insights into the complex interaction of many factors, in contrast with experiments where variables are held constant.
= this means that insights over looked using other methods may be identified
= offers high levels of validity as they go into depth and give insight
=efficient as it only takes one case study to disprove a theory
Case study str: investigate instances of rare human behaviour
eg investigating cases of children growing up in institutions (romanian orphans)
enable researchers to see what effects disruption of attachment has on emotional development
=allows researchers to study events that they could not practically or ethically manipulate
case study lim: after event
Recollection of past = retrospective= unreliable
Identified after a key event, cant be sure changed werent present originally
case study AO3s
lim:generalise
str: in depth info
str: rare instances
lim: researcher
lim: after event
Case study lim: researcher
researcher can become too involved
lose objectivity
may misinterpret or influence outcomes
