Case studies and content analysis

• In depth investigation, description & analysis
• Involves collecting qualitative data
• Researchers construct a case history - interviews, questionnaires, etc
• Testing - quantatative data
• Can take place over a length of time.

Example: 

Clive Wearing:

Can't transfer STM to LTM but can still use procedural memory but doesn't have any episodic memories.

Phineius Gage - 1848:

Damaged his frontal lobe when he was at work as an iron bar went through his skull. He was able to function normally but his personality completely changed, before he was a kind and calm person but after he became aggressive, restless and rude.

Strengths:

• Rich, detailed insightes shed light on unusual or atypical behaviour.
• May generate hypothesis for future studies, or may lead to the revision of a theory.
• Holistic approach.

Weaknesses:

• Small sample size so low external validity.
• Based on subjective selection & interpretation of the researcher and personal accounts may be prone to inaccuracy.
• Take a long time to do so takes lots of effort and can be expensive.
• Ethics - confidentiality and anonymity.

• Enables indirect study of behaviour through email, games, books, TV, film etc.
• Aim is to summarise & describe communication systematically, so conclusions can be drawn.
• Coding: Initial stage where categories & themes are identified and tallied - quantitative data.
• Thematic analysis: Inductive & qualitative approach; identiying ideas with the data; themes may emerge once data has been collected & categories may develop into broader categories.

Strengths:

• detailed
• high ecological validity
• reduces ethical issues - based on what people are doing
• qualitative and quantitative data
• easily repeated.

Weaknesses:

• interrater reliability low due to different interpretations of data
• culture bias