case studies Flashcards
1
Q
what is a case study?
A
an in-depth investigation, description and analysis of a single individual, group, institution or event
2
Q
whom might case study analysis focus on?
A
- unusual indivduals or events eg. person with a rare disorder
- ‘typical’ cases eg. elderly person’s recollections of their childhood
3
Q
what type of data does a case study usually produce?
A
qualitative
4
Q
what methods does a researcher use to construct a case history?
A
- interviews
- observations
- questionnaires
- combination of all of these
5
Q
how might a case study produce quantitative data ?
A
if the person is subject to experimental or psychological testing to assess what they are capable of
6
Q
how long does it take to construct a case study?
A
case studies tend to take place over a long period of time (longitudinal)
7
Q
apart from the personal themselves, who else might be asked for additional data?
A
family and friends of the individual
8
Q
evaluation: strengths
A
- offers rich, detailed insights that shed light on very unusual and atypical forms of behaviour
- contribute to our understanding of ‘typical’ functioning eg. HM demonstrated the existence of separate stores in STM and LTM
- may generate hypothese for future study
- a solitary contradictory instance may lead to the revision of an entire theory
9
Q
evaluation: limitations
A
- difficult to generalise findings when dealing with small sample sizes
- information that makes it into the final report is based on subjective selection and interpretation of the researcher
- personal accounts from participant / family / friends may be prone to inaccuracy and memory decay, especially if childhood stories are being told
- evidence from case studies have low validity
