Case study

Case studies are an in-depth, rich and detailed study of 1 person or a group of people.

They involve a variety of techniques (triangulation) including interviews, psychological tests, experiments and observations

• Sometimes behaviour cannot be studied in any other way, such as in cases of neglect, abuse or psychological damage.

• Rich, detailed data is obtained which may give new insights into future research.

• A more complex effect can be explored rather than just cause and effect relationships.

• They are unable to be generalised because of the unique set of circumstances of the case.
• They involve reflecting on the past meaning they rely on retrospective recall which is unrealible.
• The researcher may lack objectivity as they may become involved in the case.
• There are ethical issues involved as the unique circumstances may make the person identifiable (confidentiality).
• It is difficult to assess the reliability of the data as they are often difficult or impossible to replicate.