Professional Documents
Culture Documents
4. Identification of Data
5. Family History
6. Medical History
14 Bibliography
The case study is not itself a research method, but researchers select methods of data collection
and analysis that will generate material suitable for case studies such as qualitative
techniques (unstructured interviews, participant observation, diaries), personal notes (e.g.
letters, photographs, notes) or official document (e.g. case notes, clinical notes, appraisal
reports).
The data collected can be analysed using different theories (e.g. grounded theory, interpretative
phenomenological analysis, text interpretation (e.g. thematic coding) etc. All the approaches
mentioned here use preconceived categories in the analysis and they are ideographic in their
approach, i.e. they focus on the individual case without reference to a comparison group.
Case studies are widely used in psychology and amongst the best known were the ones carried
out by Sigmund Freud. He conducted very detailed investigations into the private lives of his
patients in an attempt to both understand and help them overcome their illnesses.
1. A descriptive study
a. (I.e. the data collected constitute descriptions of psychological processes and events, and of
the contexts in which they occurred (qualitative data).
2. Narrowly focused.
a. Typically a case study offers a description of only a single individual, and sometimes about
groups.
b. Often the case study focuses on a limited aspect of a person, such as their psychopathological
symptoms.
a. i.e. the researcher may combine objective and subjective data: All are regarded as valid data
for analysis, and as a basis for inferences within the case study.
ii. Details of the subjective aspect, such as feelings, beliefs, impressions or interpretations. In
fact, a case study is uniquely able to offer a means of achieving an in-depth understanding of
the behaviour and experience of a single individual.
4. Process-oriented.
a. The case study method enables the researcher to explore and describe the nature of processes,
which occur over time.
Case studies are often used in exploratory research. They can help us generate new ideas (that
might be tested by other methods). They are an important way of illustrating theories and can
help show how different aspects of a person's life are related to each other. The method is
therefore important for psychologists who adopt a holistic point of view (i.e. humanistic
psychologists).
Limitations of Case Studies
• Can9t generalize the results to the wider population.
• Researchers own subjective feeling may influence the case study (researcher bias).
• Difficult to replicate.
• Time consuming.
Because a case study deals with only one person/event/group we can never be sure whether
conclusions drawn from this particular case apply elsewhere. The results of the study are not
generalizable because we can never know whether the case we have investigated is
representative of the wider body of "similar" instances
Because they are based on the analysis of qualitative (i.e. descriptive) data a lot depends on
the interpretation the psychologist places on the information she has acquired. This means
that there is a lot of scope for observer bias and it could be that the subjective opinions of the
psychologist intrude in the assessment of what the data means.
• Deviant Case analysis: The researchers starts with difference already found
between two people or groups and his/her task is to read backwards, to deduce the
condition that might have produced the differences.
• Isolated Clinical Case Analysis: Related to individual units with respect to some
analytical problems, such studies have become popular in psychoanalysis.
2. Experimental method
3. Psychological Testing
4. Survey
5. Case study
6. Correlation
9. Family History
• Family Tree
• Family arrangement: Joint family/ nuclear family with its advantages and
disadvantages.( As per the subject’s perception)
• Family details
• Name of the father:
• Age:
• Qualification:
• Occupation:
• Designation:
Subject:
Father:
Mother:
Siblings:
11. Habits, interests and talents [One Page]
13. Interview with Significant others: [One friend and one teacher]
For e.g.
[My subject scored a total of 50 in Sinha`s Comprehensive Anxiety test, her scores relates to 99
percentile on the scoring table of the SCAT scoring manual. This indicates an extremely high level of
anxiety which leads to development of emotional and even physical consequential issues like
feelings of disturbance and lack of attention in situations of stress. The subject is unable to deal with
highly stressful situations with a calm attitude and ends up in high anxiety and physically fatigued.]
Also write about the behavioral observation that you have done through interview with the
subject and significant others.
If there is discrepancy in test scores and your observation, then write it and the reasons.
Suggest strategies if the subject has high anxiety or emotionally unstable.
17. Bibliography
• NCERT Class XII Psychology Book
• NCERT Class XI Psychology book
• http://www.simplypsychology.org/case-study.html
• Psychology Test manuals