Case Study Method in Psychology (2023)

FAQs

What is case study method answer? ›

The case study method is a learning technique in which the student is faced a particular problem, the case. The case study facilitates the exploration of a real issue within a defined context, using a variety of data sources (Baxter et al., 2008).

A psychology case study is a thorough study of a single person, community or event that relies on observations, facts and experiments to gather information. Psychologists collect information for a case study through psychometric testing, observation, interviews, experiments and case study archives.

Case studies involve analysis of small data sets, such as one or two companies, that may lead the researcher to gain some insights about trends in relevant industries. For example, a case study about the Mitsubishi car company might be used to generalise about similar companies in the automobile industry.

While the guidelines and template contain much detail, your finished case study should be only 500 to 1,500 words in length. Therefore, you will need to write efficiently and avoid unnecessarily flowery language.

Analyzing a case involves five steps: reading the case, understanding the problem or main point of the case, pulling out important information to solve the problem or create new ideas, analyzing that information, and compiling that information. These steps can be done in a different order or even at the same time.

Condensing Information On One Side

Writing out information on one side of A3 or A4 can be a very useful way of arranging the case study. It will make it easier for your student to memorize. By writing down notes, the student will be forced to read and process the material that will reinforce learning.

What is the most appropriate method when doing a case study? ›

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews, observations, and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records).

Your case study questions should ask about your product or solution's impact on the customer's employees, teams, metrics, and goals. These questions allow the client to praise the value of your service and tell others exactly what benefits they derived from it.

Students recall concepts better when they are set in a case, much as people remember words better when used in context. Cases teach students how to apply theory in practice and how to induce theory from practice. The case method cultivates the capacity for critical analysis, judgment, decision-making, and action.

The case method is a participatory, discussion-based way of learning where students gain skills in critical thinking, communication, and group dynamics. It is a type of problem-based learning.

Some famous examples of case studies are John Martin Marlow's case study on Phineas Gage (the man who had a railway spike through his head) and Sigmund Freud's case studies, Little Hans and The Rat Man. Case studies are widely used in psychology to provide insight into unusual conditions.

Researchers might study a group of people in a certain setting or look at an entire community. For example, psychologists might explore how access to resources in a community has affected the collective mental well-being of those living there.

Can you fail a case study interview? ›

Sometimes, you may get all of the answers right in a case interview but still be rejected. One reason why this may happen is that you're “too slow” in solving the case. Being “too slow” does not mean you need to talk faster. It means you are asking too many questions to figure out a conclusion for one part of the case.

Case interviews are among the hardest job interviews for business candidates. Passing rate is only 10% to 20%, with each candidate facing 4-6 case interviews for one consulting recruitment process.

Marshall et al. [74] present a list of established qualitative researchers with their recommended minimum number of interviews. These range from 6 to 50, and as few as 3 per case for comparative case studies.

Candidates usually ask 2 – 3 clarifying questions to start the case interview. However, some case interviews will need no clarifying questions while other case interviews may need more than 3. The answer depends on how unclear the case background information is.

Summary: 40 participants is an appropriate number for most quantitative studies, but there are cases where you can recruit fewer users.

Good case studies include key details that show how the customer got from A to B using the product—something you don't get with customer reviews. Don't make your reader work too hard to visualize the story. If you can use images and videos, use them!

Take Notes: Read through your materials slowly and write down key points. Write down any questions you have about the materials that you can later discuss with your classmates or course instructor. Test Your Understanding: Quiz yourself on the material you have just read.

What is the first most common method in doing a case study? ›

The case study method often involves simply observing what happens to, or reconstructing 'the case history' of a single participant or group of individuals (such as a school class or a specific social group), i.e. the idiographic approach.

1. A compelling executive summary. One of the most important components of a case study is a powerful executive summary. It lets your reader know what they're getting into, and how they might relate to and benefit from what they'll learn.

Case studies develop skills such as:

Problem solving. Analytical tools, quantitative and/or qualitative, depending on the case. Decision making in complex situations. Coping with ambiguities.

He has helpfully characterised three main types of case study: intrinsic, instrumental and collective[8]. An intrinsic case study is typically undertaken to learn about a unique phenomenon. The researcher should define the uniqueness of the phenomenon, which distinguishes it from all others.

The case study method often involves simply observing what happens to, or reconstructing 'the case history' of a single participant or group of individuals (such as a school class or a specific social group), i.e. the idiographic approach.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

a case study can be defined as an intensive study about a person, a group of people or a unit, which is aimed to generalize over several units'.1 A case study has also been described as an intensive, systematic investigation of a single individual, group, community or some other unit in which the researcher examines in ...

What is the best definition of a case study? a detailed description of one person. A problem with defining abnormal behavior in terms of deviation from statistical norms is that the definition. does not specify how unusual the behavior must be to be considered abnormal.

Case studies focus on the complexity, dynamics and circumstances of a single case (sometimes called a phenomenon). Multiple research methods are used. Cases are intensively explored in-depth, retrospectively, currently and sometimes over time.

What is an example of case study in psychology? ›

Sam was team captain of his soccer team, but an unexpected fight with another teammate prompted his parents to meet with a clinical psychologist. Sam was diagnosed with major depressive disorder after showing an increase in symptoms over the previous three months.

Advantages of case studies

They allow researchers to observe and record information about rare, impractical, or unethical conditions and behaviours. They provide researchers with new evidence to support psychological theories. They help researchers develop hypotheses that others can study or add to in the future.