Case Studies Psychology

9 Key excerpts on "Case Studies Psychology"

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  Case Study Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy

  • John McLeod(Author)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications Ltd

    (Publisher)

  complex processes. This feature of case study research in counselling and psychotherapy is clearly attractive and valuable to many researchers, since many readers of large-sample extensive studies bemoan the fact that these studies usually over-simplify what happens in therapy. On the other hand, complexity also presents a challenge or danger for researchers and research audiences – too much complexity can become chaotic and meaningless.

  Contextuality as an essential feature of case study research

   

  A case study involves investigating an entity within its natural context. This approach can be compared with what happens in laboratory experiments or in analogue studies in counselling and psychotherapy, in which a controlled situation is created in order to make it possible to test hypotheses about cause–effect linkages. In surveys, large-scale naturalistic studies and randomized trials, the investigation may be based in a real-world context, but there is typically little information collected or reported about contextual factors. Yin (2009: 18) defines a case study as:

    …an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.  

  The key idea here is that, in any intensive study of a specific case, the closer the ‘case’ is examined, the less certainty there is about the boundaries of the case, in terms of information that may be relevant to an understanding of the case. For example, in counselling and psychotherapy case study research, there often arise questions concerning the therapeutic impact of events and experiences that were not part of the actual therapy approach that was delivered. There are also many theoretically and practically interesting questions about when the case begins and ends (At the final therapy session? Six months following the final therapy session?). In analysing the factors that influenced outcome in a specific therapy case, it may become apparent that improvements in the client’s condition may have been due to getting a new job, or to conversations with the assistant who carried out research interviews. Because the aim is to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of a single case, by creating a rich data set, many of these ‘fuzzy boundary’ factors are observed and recorded, and become relevant in the analysis. By contrast, in studies with large numbers of participants, there is no scope for such factors to become part of the data set, or to play a role in analysis. In some therapy case studies, the researcher or author makes a specific effort to collect information about the context in which the therapy takes place. However, even when the researcher or author does not prioritise contextuality, the fact that there is more space in a case study to describe the client, the therapist, and therapy, means that readers are provided with a more in-depth understanding of the context of the case.

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  Essentials of Clinical Psychology

  An Indian Perspective

  • S. K. Mangal, Shubhra Mangal(Authors)
  • 2023(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  In a nutshell, we may say that when a researcher needs to obtain a straightforward description of a single unit (individual, group, or phenomenon) in-depth and in detail, it is the case study method that may help them in serving this purpose. For this reason, the use of this method is considered quite meritorious as well as interesting to clinical psychologists for revealing unique things about the clinical aspects and behaviors of problem-afflicted individuals. Thus, you may see descriptions of case study work conducted on subjects experiencing mental health problems and disorders across the texts and research literature belonging to the field of clinical psychology. In the present text, we have narrated a number of case studies during the discussion of one or the other mental disorders or behavioral problems, such as case studies of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorders, phobias, autism, ADHD, eating and sleeping disorders, and neurotic and psychotic disorders. The descriptions given under these case studies may help well in revealing truths about psychological and adjustment problems faced by individuals, the characteristics and symptoms associated with a particular disorder, the underlying causes and factors responsible for the creation and perpetuation of the problem, the effectiveness of the methods employed for its diagnosis, prevention, and treatment, and so on.

  To Sum Up

  A method of research known as the case study method is used by researchers in clinical psychology in a situation when one must conduct a study that may help in describing the characteristics of an existing individual unit (i.e., an individual, or small group, or a phenomenon) designated as a case through its in-depth and intensive study.

  Such case studies are often undertaken by clinical psychology researchers and practitioners for understanding the nature of the problems experienced by their clients in terms of their peculiar symptoms, causation, and the effectiveness of the treatment given to them.

  The data collected in case study research can be obtained from a variety of sources by making use of multiple means, such as administering questionnaires, holding interviews with the cases under study including their close relatives, conducting surveys, and analysis of archival data. The case study method in its application proves quite useful in getting a detailed account of the cases studied in reference to their past, present, and future prospectus. It can help also help in establishing cause-effect relationships for the things observed and investigated in the composition of the case studied.

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  Handbook of Sport Psychology

  • Gershon Tenenbaum, Robert C. Eklund, Gershon Tenenbaum, Robert C. Eklund(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  This chapter aims at developing a broader holistic understanding of case studies as they relate to sport and exercise psychology. The chapter clarifies the essence of case studies, beginning with defining the case study term. The chapter then considers the use of case study approaches more broadly in psychology, before explicitly outlining the differences that exist between professional practice and research case studies. Finally, the chapter explores the development of case studies for publication.

  Defining a Case

  Before considering what the study of a specific case involves, it is imperative to clarify what a “case” refers to. At a broad level, a case has been described as a phenomenon specific in time and space. Miles and Huberman (1994 ) specifically described a case to be “a phenomenon of some sort occurring in a bounded context. The case is, in effect, your unit of analysis” (p. 25). Indeed, if utilizing a case study approach in a research context, the clarity of the case itself has been highlighted as being of paramount importance. As a result, clearly articulating the limits of the case are crucial. In support of this point, Stake (2000 ) highlighted that, “as a form of research, case studies are defined by interest in individual cases, not by the methods of inquiry used” (p. 445). Also, Johnsson (2003 ), in reviewing case study approaches in psychology, broadly suggested that a case study should have a “case” that is the object of study, and that is the starting point for the research. Specific criteria regarding the case include that it should be: (1) be a complex functioning unit, (2) be investigated in its natural context with a multitude of methods, and (3) be contemporary. An important aspect of determining the case is to identify boundaries regarding the scope of the case to ensure the evaluation remains focused. Indeed, Hodge and Sharp (2017 ) highlighted that a case study is about the boundedness of the case, and not just an in‐depth study. Building on this point, Yin (2009 ) stated that the criterion of boundedness is the key defining characteristic of a case study. The bounded nature of a case relates to (1) exclusive membership of a bounded group, (2) delineated location/place of existence, and (3) a delimited time frame (Hodge & Sharp, 2017 ). Both Yin (2014 ) and Stake (1995 ) suggested setting boundaries for a case to prevent “an explosion” from taking place in terms of the data collected. This bounding of the case could be achieved by (1) clearly determining the time and place (Hodge & Sharp, 2017 ), (2) Clarifying the time to be investigated and activities to be assessed (Stake, 1995 ), and (3) Clearly defining the context in which the case is being explored (Miles & Huberman, 1994

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  Psychology

  • Ronald Comer, Elizabeth Gould, Adrian Furnham(Authors)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  Case Studies A case study focuses on a single person. Medical and psychologi- cal practitioners who treat people with problems often conduct case studies to help determine whether therapeutic interventions produce changes in their clients’ symptoms (Lee et al., 2010). One dis- advantage of a case study, however, is that it can be affected greatly by researcher bias, which occurs when investigators see only what they expect to see in their studies. Some clin- icians/researchers may, for example, note only the healthy behaviours of persons after they have provided treatment to those individuals. Another disadvantage of case studies is that researchers cannot confidently generalize to other situ- ations from the study of a single person (Lee et al., 2010). Suppose, for example, that you conduct a case study in order to test your hypothesis that watching a giveaway/makeover Genuine random selection can be difficult to achieve. The part of your population that does not watch Big Brother includes, for example, four-year-olds, who probably are not interested in adult-orientated programmes of any kind. Nor would four-year-olds be capable of making the same kinds of choices about charitable behaviour that 25- or 45-year-old persons might make. Thus, you may decide to narrow your sample to include adults only. Of course, such a choice would mean that your findings would be relevant to adults only, rather than to the entire human population. But, in this case, that is really the key population of largest interest. Pick a Research Method Investigators have several options when designing studies to test their hypotheses (McGrath, 2011). Research methods differ in their goals, samples and the ability of researchers to generalize their results to a popula- tion. Researchers may, for example, use descriptive research methods , such as case studies, naturalistic observation and Ideally, researchers choose their sam- ples through random selection .

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  Companion Encyclopedia of Psychology

  Volume One

  • Andrew M. Colman(Author)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Psychology repudiates all attempts to divide its subject matter into watertight compartments, so some seepage between chapters and even between sections has been condoned in this encyclopedia, and unsurprisingly a section devoted to "special topics" turned out to be necessary because certain obviously important topics refused to fit into any of the other sections. Furthermore, research methods and statistics transcend the classification outlined in the previous paragraph, and it would be inappropriate to classify them as "special topics" because they could hardly be more general, but they are integral to the discipline and are taught in all reputable degree courses, so a further section in this encyclopedia is devoted to them. And for the sake of completeness, a final section deals with the professions of psychology.

  Research Methods

  Research in psychology, as in any other science, always begins with a question that needs answering. The question may arise from the natural curiosity of the researcher, from a formal theory that generates a testable prediction, or from something puzzling thrown up by the findings of previous research. Provided that it relates to behaviour or mental experience and is an empirical question that can be tackled by collecting objective evidence, it is a legitimate problem for psychological research. What follows is a brief outline of the main research methods used in psychology (for a more extended discussion along the same lines, see Colman, 1988, chap. 4).

  Case studies

  A case study is a relatively primitive research method. In psychology, it involves a detailed investigation of a single individual, or occasionally a single social organization. Research of this kind is common in abnormal psychology (see section 10) and comparatively rare in other branches of the discipline. The data reported in case studies may be derived from interviews, diaries, case histories, medical records, questionnaires and other psychometric tests, or direct observations of behaviour. The findings of case studies can be interesting and valuable, but they often suffer from problems of generalizability, because one individual's response to a particular treatment (for example) is not necessarily the same as another's. The accumulation of evidence from a number of case studies, especially if they are reported by independent investigators, can sometimes mitigate this problem. (For more detail on case studies, see chapter 12.5, Francis C. Dane.)

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  Psychology

  Six Perspectives

  • Dodge Fernald(Author)
  • 2007(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications, Inc

    (Publisher)

  The case study may include psychological, biological, social, educational, biographical, and other relevant information. Typically, it employs interviews with the individuals most involved, such as family members, peers, and employers. Among the major types of case studies, three are named according to the chief source of their data. In a psychometric case study , psychological tests and rating scales are administered to one or a few individuals, and the scores are analyzed for trends depicting traits and behaviors, all aimed at yielding greater understanding of the specific person or group. In developing an archival case study , the investigator works from files of all sorts, public and private, especially educational and career records, again seeking to identify the prominent factors influencing the behavior of the principal participants. Relatively rare, an observational case study is confined to direct observations in one or several settings, often without data from other sources. A fourth type, the clinical case study, employs a variety of data sources, especially individual and group interviews, and is typically devoted to assisting some-one or some group with a problem of adjustment. The case study thereby becomes a systematic statement about part of the life of a single unit and is necessarily selective. In fact, the case study is a common form of idiographic inquiry, examining a specific instance. But even when studying just one person or event, the whole story is too detailed or irrelevant for the immediate purpose (Runyan, 1984). Lacking the rigorous methods of control in experimental research, the case study offers less opportunity for making comparisons and reaching firm conclusions. Diverse explanations become plausible, and the expertise of the investigator remains paramount.

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  Researching the Unconscious

  Principles of Psychoanalytic Method

  • Michael Rustin(Author)
  • 2019(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  CHAPTER SEVEN Case-study methods in psychoanalysis

  T he psychoanalytic field is often criticized for its reliance on clinical case studies as its primary research method. If psychoanalysis is to establish its place among the mainstream psychological sciences, it has been argued, it needs to abandon its reliance on its traditional approach to knowledge generation and adopt methods, such as the randomized double-blind controlled trial, that are more likely to achieve scientific respectability.

  But why, if case studies are of such limited value in providing statistical evidence of the effects of psychoanalytic treatments, have they nevertheless proved so productive in generating new knowledge and understanding over the entire history of psychoanalysis? To understand this, it is useful to understand the larger place of case-study methods in scientific research.

  Contexts of case study research

  The fields in which these methods have proved most fertile in the generation of knowledge share certain characteristics, as a substantial literature explains (Byrne & Ragin, 2012; Ragin & Becker, 2010; Smith, Harré, & Van Langenhove, 1995; Stake, 1994). These are fields in which the objects of study are complex in the interrelationships between their component elements. They have a high degree of specificity and therefore difference from other apparently similar objects of study. They are often subject to substantial change and variation over time.

  Mostly it is in the biological and especially the human sciences where such complex and singular entities are objects of investigation, because it is in these fields that interest in differences between objects of study is paramount. The unending process of “speciation” that Darwin noted to be the outcome of natural selection has given rise to innumerable different species, each living in its particular ecological niche. Although there are many attributes common to different species, in their genetic structure, anatomy, behaviour patterns, and so on, species are, by definition, distinct from one another (they are defined by their capacity to reproduce only within their own kind), and they evolve different modes of adaptation and survival. For this reason, the study of particular instances of a species in its environment has remained an illuminating kind of scientific inquiry.

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  A Handbook for Social Science Field Research

  Essays & Bibliographic Sources on Research Design and Methods

  • Ellen Perecman, Sara R. Curran(Authors)
  • 2006(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications, Inc

    (Publisher)

  2 Case Studies Case-Based Research Andrew Schrank W hat is a case study? The International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences offers two distinct and seemingly contradictory answers. While Anthony Orum limits his definition of the case study to an intensive examination of “a single case of a particular phenomenon” (Orum 2001, p. 1509), Andrew Bennett expands the term’s purview to “include both within-case analysis of single cases and comparisons between or among a small number of cases” (Bennett 2001, p. 1513). The definitional differ-ences need not detain us for more than a moment, however, for the one-shot case study discussed by Orum and the more explicitly comparative approaches reviewed by Bennett have at least three important characteristics in common. First, the authors agree that the case study is a research design rather than an approach to the collection or analysis of data, and case stud-ies must involve utilization of a wide array of different data sources and a number of different analytic strategies. Second, they agree that the case study examines units of analysis that are not drawn from a well-demarcated pop-ulation, and that case study authors must therefore be prepared to ask them-selves, “What is my case a case of?” and to use their answers to advance their broader theoretical agendas (Ragin & Becker 1992). And finally, both 21 authors agree that case studies are at the center of a storm of controversy in a number of the social sciences, and their authors must therefore be prepared to defend their methods against the slings and arrows of their critics. Because the merits of case-based methods are discussed in my essay in Part II of this volume and the presumption of the volume is that social scientists are looking for ways to use and combine different methodological approaches, the present chapter has three principal goals.

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  Evaluating Research Methods in Psychology

  A Case Study Approach

  • George Dunbar(Author)
  • 2008(Publication Date)
  • Wiley-Blackwell

    (Publisher)

  24 EVIDENCE IN PSYCHOLOGY process. Each study develops from earlier studies, and leads to new studies. It is rare that a single experiment can completely convince everyone on some theoretical or practical point. Our knowledge and understanding of psychological phenomena is built up through the contributions of many studies. At the beginning of a research program, observational or explora-tory research may be the most useful approach. In these early stages, researchers may still be figuring out what the important behaviors are, still working to identify candidate predictor variables. As knowl-edge advances, it may become possible to move to experimental designs that permit greater control, and so stronger, more definite conclusions about particular mechanisms. In selecting the case studies, and in discussing them, I present alternative explanations and criticisms of the studies. Scientific psychology moves forward by testing alternative explanations in new experiments. Sometimes we will see that the original researchers realized that their first studies left a number of explanations open, and we will see how they went on to design new studies that pro-gressively refined their explanation of the phenomenon. The points in this section are summarized in Table 1.1, which lists several key questions that you can ask yourself about any particular study. Table 1.1. Key questions to ask when evaluating research in psychology.

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