case studies

• describe a case study

  • a case study as in-depth study of one person/small group of people
  • it is carried in the real world
  • case studies are typically longitudinal in that they are carried out over a period of time
  • they are so typically conducted by a single researcher
  • the researcher uses a range of methods to collect their data
• what range of methods do researchers use to collect their data

  • observations
  • interviews
  • psychological tests (IQ testing)
• why is small sample sizes a limitation of case studies

  • case studies investigate the unique situations of one person or a small group of people
  • it may be difficult to generalise the findings to the wider population
  • question the population validity of findings from case studies.
• what is a strength of case studies as they are conducted in the real world

  • they are typically conducted in the setting in which the behaviour being investigated would naturally occur
  • it means the participant(s) may be more likely to behave naturally
  • adds to the ecological validity of findings from case studies.
• describe the limitation of how case studies are difficult to replicate

  • they are typically longitudinal pieces of research carried out over a number of years.
  • the research is unlikely to be replicated to check the consistency of the findings
  • question the reliability of findings produced by case studies
• descibe the limitation of case studies due to researcher bias

  • single researcher and also typically use methods such as interviews which require subjective interpretation by the researcher.
  • researcher may be subjective in their recording and analysis of the data
  • question the objectivity and, in turn, the validity of the research.
• describe a strength of case studies as the data obtained can be cross checked

  • multiple ways of collecting data are used and so a researcher could assess whether answers provided in a questionnaire are consistent with a covert observation of the same participants.
  • the data do not match, it may indicate that social desirability bias was an issue with the questionnaire.
  • adds to the validity of findings from case studies.