Case studies

• What is the definition of a case study?

  An in-depth study that gathers a lot of detail about one person or a small group of people
• What types of data are gathered in a case study?

  Data is gathered from observations, interviews, and qualitative data
• What type of information is primarily collected in a case study?

  Information is mainly biographical and relates to past and current significant events
• Who is qualified to conduct a formal case study relating to atypical behaviour?

  Only a psychologist
• What is the objective of a case study?

  The objective is to uncover themes and patterns of behaviour for greater understanding of real-world occurrences
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of case studies?

  Advantages:

  • Rich and detailed qualitative data
  • High validity and ecological validity
  • Avoids practical and ethical issues
  • Uses triangulation

  
  

  Disadvantages:

  • Subjectivity
  • Little generalizability
  • Lack of replication
  • Time-consuming
• What type of data does a case study provide?

  Rich and detailed qualitative data
• What is a disadvantage of case studies related to generalizability?

  Case studies have little generalizability
• What ethical issues are avoided by using case studies?

  Case studies avoid practical and ethical issues
• What is a limitation of case studies regarding replication?

  Case studies have a lack of replication
• Why are case studies considered time-consuming?

  Because they require extensive data collection and analysis
• What does triangulation in case studies refer to?

  Triangulation refers to using multiple methods to gather data
• How does subjectivity affect case studies?

  Subjectivity can lead to biased interpretations of data