Case Studies Flashcards
Where does a case study get the information from?
Person concerned or family/friends of the person concerned
What is a case study?
The detailed study of a single individual, institution or event
What techniques can be used during a case study?2
People interviewed or observed in daily life
How might psychologists produce data about the target person/group of people
IQ tests or personality tests or another rule of questionnaire
What would psychologists use to test what the target person/group can or can’t do?
Experimental method
Case studies are longitudinal. What does this mean?
They follow the individual or group over an extended period of time
What are 2 strengths of case studies,
Offers rich, in depth data so info that may have been overlooked won’t be
Used to investigate instances of human behaviour and experiences that are rare
What are 4 limitations of case studies?
Difficult to generalise from individual cases as each one has unique characteristics
Necessary to use recollection which could be unreliable
Lack objectivity as they get to know the case or bc they may overlook aspects of their finding
Confidentiality issues as cases have unique characteristics so easy to identify
What is a problem with validity?
It is difficult to make generalisations to the wider population from a case study of one or few individuals
