Case Studies And Content Analysis

Question 1

What is a case study

Answer 1

Detailed, in depth analysis of an individual, group, institution or event

Question 2

3 characteristics of case studies

Answer 2

Often longitudinal, favoured by idiographic approaches, often qualitative but can be quantitative

Question 3

4 evaluation points of case studies

Answer 3

• rich and in depth data
• can be used to investigate rare behaviour and experiences
• difficult to generalise insights gained
• require consideration of important ethical issues

Question 4

3 examples of case studies

Answer 4

• koluchova twins
• Romanian orphans
• patients KF

Question 5

Elaboration of ‘offers rich in depth data’

Answer 5

• bc case studies produce more qualitative data
• give insight inti more specific parts of psychology
• needed for psychologists to bind theories through idiographic nature giving deeper understanding

Question 6

Elaboration of ‘can be used to behaviour and experiences’

Answer 6

• out of our control to assess naturally occurring variables
• that we can’t naturally manufacture
• ethically right helping us to understand things we couldn’t previously understand
• grave ethics

Question 7

Elaboration ‘difficult to generalise insights gained from a case study’

Answer 7

• no two people live the same experience
• their insights gained can’t be generalised
• probably won’t be relevant
• poor generalisability

Question 8

Elaboration of ‘case studies require consideration of important ethical issues’

Answer 8

• eg with consent
• post mortem study of the brain in memory research
• eg patient KF could remember what he consented to
  Grave - poor ethics

Question 9

What type of research is content analysis

Answer 9

Observational

Question 10

The aim of content analysis

Answer 10

To summarise the communication in a systematic way so conclusions can be drawn

Question 11

What happens during content analysis

Answer 11

Ps are studies indirectly via the communication they produce eg emails, letters, media, conversations and interviews

Question 12

What is one form of content analysis

Answer 12

Thematic analysis

Question 13

What is thematic analysis

Answer 13

When reoccuring themes are identified in a descriptive way - usually qualitative data used to create boarder categories

Question 14

What are the main intentions of thematic analysis

Answer 14

• identifying themes and drawing conclusions
• ensuring the order represents the participants perspective
• imposing order on data
• summarising the data
• enduring no preconceptions emerged instead of the imposed order

Question 15

Stages of content analysis

Answer 15

Sampling, behavioural categories, read and tally, summarise findings - quantitative

Question 16

Thematical analysis stages

Answer 16

Sampling, read and highlight, find reoccuring themes, summarise data qualitatively

Question 17

4 evaluation points of content analysis

Answer 17

• already in public domain - based on real communications
• can produce both qualitative and quantitative data
• indirect measure
• subjective

Question 18

Elaboration of ‘based on real communications’

Answer 18

• content that we analyse is already in the public domain
• ethics can’t comply
• most infor we look at eg interviews is consented to

Question 19

Elaboration of ‘can produce quan and qual data’

Answer 19

• high level of detail
• helps to create general laws with deep understanding
• to draw more accurate conclusions
• flexibility in research according to what best fits in the topic

Question 20

Elaboration of ‘indirect measure’

Answer 20

• what your investigating isn’t specially related to the source
• risk not showing what you’re actually looking for
• poor self report bevause might not write exactly what happened
• therefore missing communication what we would have seen in observation

Question 21

Elaboration of ‘subjectuve’

Answer 21

Particularly in thematic analysis when picking up themes

• no consistency across people
• leads to unintentional bias or misinterpretation