A RM- Case Studies

Question 1

what is a case study?

Answer 1

an overall research method that focuses on one event or person/ small group

Question 2

what do case studies aim to gather?

Answer 2

detailed data through using a variety of techniques

Question 3

what are some examples of techniques used in case studies?

Answer 3

-psychometric tests e.g. personality, IQ
-interviews
-observations
-experimentation

Question 4

what data can case studies produce?

Answer 4

qualitative or quantitative data depending on the methods used

Question 5

what approach do they tend to take?

Answer 5

a holistic approach as researchers often consider various contributing factors influencing behaviour or mental processes

Question 6

when are case studies often used?

Answer 6

where there is a rare behaviour being investigated which does not arise often
enough to warrant a larger study being conducted.
-we have little understanding and knowledge about it

Question 7

what is triangulation?

Answer 7

the use of multiple methods or data sources in research

Question 8

what does using triangulation allow us to do?

Answer 8

-gives us more confidence in the research findings (credibility and validity)
-helps to ensure against biases that may occur if a single method was used
- helps us develop a comprehensive and holistic understanding

Question 9

give some examples of case studies in psychology

Answer 9

Phineas Gage (biopsychology)
HM (memory)
Little Albert (learning theory)
Clive Wearing (memory)
‘Genie’ (attachment)

Question 10

what did we learn with Phineas Gage and why was this case significant?

Answer 10

-we understood the brain’s role in personality, behaviour and social cognition
-his frontal lobe was damaged, crucial for decision-making, rationality, control and emotional regulation

Question 11

what did we learn from ‘Genie’ and why was this case study significant?

Answer 11

it highlighted the crucial role of early childhood experiences and maternal care, showing how deprivation can have lasting negative impacts
-this shaped child welfare practices and our understanding of language acquisition and the critical period in attachment and infancy

Question 12

what did we learn from ‘Little Albert’ and why was this case study significant?

Answer 12

we understood how emotional responses such as fear could be artificially induced (environment) into humans through association and unvoluntary behaviour
-conditioned fears could generalise to similar stimuli

Question 13

which approaches are more likely to use case studies and why?

Answer 13

humanistic- a key assumption is that all individuals are unique, take a holistic approach to study in more depth and detail
psychodynamic- unethical approaches are hard to investigate, not empirical or testable concepts and cannot be scientifically tested

Question 14

internal validity
A03 Case Studies

Answer 14

HIGH
E: both qualitative and quantitative data is gathered through a variety of methods and techniques
E: a rich yield of data is collected to make detailed insights and deeper analysis possible
-triangulation adds to the validity, assessing credibility
L: therefore, case studies can be see as credible and give us understanding

Question 15

case studies allow us to study phenomena we otherwise couldn’t
A03 Case Studies

Answer 15

E: e.g. the case study of Genie- study effects of privation (otherwise unethical)
E: they were able to study a naturally occurring case in great depth and gain understanding
L: therefore, case studies can be invaluable in helping us to gain knowledge that can be of great benefit to humanity that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to explore

Question 16

case studies stimulate avenues for new research
A03 Case Studies

Answer 16

E: e.g. Phineas Gage helped us understand the localisation of function in the brain
E: prompting us to think about specific areas of the brain and their functions
L: therefore CS are often the catalyst for further experimental research, resulting in more dynamic thinking in psychology

Question 17

population validity
A03 Case Studies

Answer 17

LOW
E: they study an event, one person or small group
E: the findings are not generalisable to the wider population due to their subjective experience
L: therefore, it can be argued that case studies are inherently unpresentative

Question 18

reliability
A03 Case Studies

Answer 18

LOW
E: unique/ one-off situations are investigated
E: this limits us being able to manipulate variables or replicate the research to obtain more findings
L: therefore, we cannot assess the consistency of findings, impacting the credibility

Question 19

bias
A03 Case Studies

Answer 19

they are prone to investigator bias
E: e.g. psychodynamic case studies, using qualitative methods where the researcher’s own subjectivity may pose a problem
(Little Hans, Freud developed an entire theory based around what he observed)
E: investigators are very involved in the studies and may start to have their judgment impacted

However, triangulation aims to increase credibility by developing a holistic understanding

L: we cannot be sure that Freud objectively reported his finings, interfering with the validity of the findings

Question 20

ethical issues
A03 Case Studies

Answer 20

E: Genie was treated poorly and individual interests were not prioritised (mother sue hospital and scientists after testing her unnecessarily and over-investigating her)
E: CS are unique cases that researchers are likely to get carried away with with their intellectual curiosity and excitement
L: therefore, researchers need to be mindful when conducting CS to ensure individuals’ best interest are at heart- likely sensitive and vulnerable topics