Case Studies
Objectives:
• To understand the case
study method
• To understand some of the
techniques psychologists use
within case studies
• To develop an
understanding of ethical
principles
Case Studies
• This is a qualitative, non-experimental research method in
psychology.
• Qualitative research is multimethod in focus, involving an
interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means
that qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings,
attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the
meanings people bring to them, ie, subjectivities.
Case
Studies
• A case study is an in-depth investigation of an individual or a small
group. To learn about the people who are being studied, researchers
may observe or speak with them, interview others who know them,
and find out more about their backgrounds and personal histories.
Psychologists use what they learn in a case study to create broader
principles or theories. Sigmund Freud developed the psychoanalytic
perspective largely on the basis of case studies.
• Freud carefully studied the people who sought his help. He interviewed
some of them for many years, developing as complete a record of their
childhoods as he could. He also looked for the factors that seemed to
contribute to their current problems.
• Although case studies may offer great insights, psychologists are
cautious about generalizing from case studies. This is particularly true
of case studies that cannot be replicated, such as Genie’s (which we’ll
learn about today). Because of the rarity and cruelty of Genie’s
experience, psychologists would never repeat this study. Furthermore,
there can be pitfalls with case studies, particularly if methods such as
interviews regarding past experiences are used as there may be
inaccuracies.
Case Study - Genie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD-pZ7LwL4A
• As you watch the documentary, list all the ways the research team
assess or measure Genie’s behaviour.
Draw a table by simply dividing an A4 page into two:
What? (Behaviour)
Note down the behaviour that is
observed.
How? (Measure/test)
ie, How is the behaviour measured or
tested?
Objectives:
• To understand the case study method
• To understand some of the techniques psychologists
use within case studies
• To develop an understanding of ethical principles
Think/Pair/Share
Look at our learning objectives and think about what
we learnt yesterday as we started watching the ‘Genie:
Wild Child’ documentary.
Discuss your thoughts in pairs and jot down some of
the things you remember.
Objectives:
To understand the case study method
To understand some of the techniques psychologists use within case studies
To develop an understanding of ethical principles
• Now that we have finished watching the documentary, you will have
come across a number of key psychological terminology. You should
now create a glossary of these terms that you can add to as we
continue to study this course.
• Make a quick list of the terminology we have used so far and add
definitions.
• Use the methods pages on the school box class page to help you.
Objective:
To develop an understanding of ethical principles
• Read pages 9 – 10 ( methods pages on school box class page).
• Note down the ethical guidelines that must be followed.
• Create a table:
Ethical Guideline
Notes on Genie’s treatment/whether
ethical rules were adhered to or broken
Objectives:
To develop your understanding of ethical guidelines in psychological research.
To develop your understanding of non-experimental methods in psychology
• On a post-it note, jot down what you think is meant by the term ‘ethics’ and stick it to
the board.
• Look at the following scenario and then discuss the ethical issues in pairs.
A psychologist wanted to test whether those who are well-hydrated will out-perform those
who are thirsty. The psychologist puts out an ad which states she is conducting a Maths
test which should last an hour. When the participants turn up, she puts them into groups –
thirsty and non-thirsty. The non-thirsty participants are given two glasses of water and
made to wait in a room for one hour before doing a 20 minute Maths test. This is slightly
longer than expected, however, participants are not too upset by this. The thirsty group are
made to stay in a room for 5 hours without water before taking the 20 minute test. The
psychologist notices that some of the participants are showing signs of discomfort and tells
them they can leave if they want. After the experiment is over, the participants are told
that the experiment wanted to look at the effect of the thirst on test performance.
Objectives
To plan your essay:
Discuss how important ethical concerns are in psychological research.
Use examples from ’Genie’ and describe how the research was carried out.
• Success criteria.
Clear points about the ethical guidelines in psychological research
Points illustrated with examples from the ‘Genie’ study.
Explanations of the ethical issues/concerns in this study
Making sure the question is being addressed – the importance of
considering ethics in psychological research.
Objective: To develop your
understanding of nonexperimental methods
Tasks:
• Make a list of the new terms that we
have used so far
• Start a glossary and add definitions
for each of these terms. (You can use
the text book pages on school box or
websites such as simply psychology
for your definitions).
• In pairs or small groups come up
with the advantages and
disadvantages of the case study
method
(https://psud43.wordpress.com/201
2/02/19/advantages-anddisadvantages-of-case-studies/)
• Read the text book pages (10 – 14)
on self-reports and interviews. Add
terms and definitions to your
glossary