A case study is an in-depth examination of a single person, organization, or event. While case studies are focused on a single person or group, they follow a similar pattern to other genres of psychological writing. A case study begins with a question or issue about which psychologists want to know more.
Case studies often include several important aspects of research including the collection of data, analysis of that data, and presentation of results. In order to collect relevant information about their topic, case study authors usually interview many people (including the subject themselves when possible) and review documents such as medical records and public records files. They may also conduct some experiments and/or surveys to learn more about their topic.
After collecting and analyzing this information, the case study author then tries to answer his or her original question or issue by presenting its findings in a clear and concise manner. Finally, the case study concludes with a discussion of the major ideas presented throughout the paper.
Although case studies can be written about many different topics within psychology, they are most commonly used to examine the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of one person at a time. Because case studies look at only one person, they allow researchers to explore how that person's specific circumstances affect him or her alone. As a result, case studies are useful tools for discovering how individual differences influence behavior.
A case study is a qualitative research method in which researchers focus on a bounded system as a unit of study. Definitions for Case Studies A case study is a decision of what to research rather than a methodological choice. (Stake) A study of a phenomena that happens in a given situation. (Denzin) The investigation of a particular situation or instance. (Morse) The detailed analysis of a single occurrence of something that can be used to generalize about the class or category to which it belongs. (Holland) Case studies are important tools in social science research because they allow us to explore issues and problems within their natural context. By studying a case, we can learn more about its underlying causes and effects than if we simply asked people about their views on an abstract topic, regardless of how relevant these may be to our own lives.
Case studies also permit us to go beyond the simple description of facts and events to explore their meaning. This means looking at how cases relate to one another and explaining any patterns that emerge from this analysis. For example, we might ask why it was necessary for Jane to die in order to motivate Tom to save Laura's life. The explanation for this relationship could be found by analyzing the case.
Finally, case studies help us understand how specific factors influence the development of objects or events. So, for example, we might want to know how financial difficulties affected the marriage of John and Mary.
A case study is a detailed study of a person, a group of individuals, or a unit with the goal of generalizing across numerous units. 1. A case study is also defined as an extensive, methodical analysis of a single individual, group, community, or other unit that the researcher investigates in depth. 2. Case studies are commonly used by educators to help students understand how concepts apply to real life situations.
Case studies can be applied to individuals, groups, or organizations. When used with individuals, the case study approach helps researchers learn more about what makes one person unique while providing a clearer picture of the characteristics and behaviors associated with certain roles within a society. Case studies with groups allow researchers to explore how people interact with each other within their social circles while giving an insight into the factors that influence their behavior. With regard to organizations, case studies can help management professionals identify potential problems before they become issues by studying how others have dealt with similar challenges.
In order to conduct a successful case study, the investigator must first determine what information is relevant to the topic under investigation. After this has been accomplished, the researcher should choose one or several cases and spend time learning all that can be learned about them. By doing so, the investigator will be able to draw conclusions regarding similarities and differences between the cases as well as identify possible causes of events/situations under study. Finally, the researcher should try to predict what might happen in the future if a particular action is taken or not taken.
In psychology, a case study is the use of a descriptive research method to get an in-depth understanding of a person, group, or phenomena. Personal interviews, direct observation, psychometric testing, and historical data are some of the tools that may be used. The goal is to learn about the characteristics and causes of a problem or illness from someone who has experience with it.
Case studies help psychologists make accurate diagnoses by giving them information about what symptoms mean and how different factors can affect the way people react to disorders. Case studies also help them understand why some people do not follow through with treatments or avoid certain situations even though they might benefit from doing so.
Psychologists use case studies to learn more about how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact with each other and influence one another. They also use case studies to explore how events early in life can cause problems later in life or be triggers for certain behaviors.
Psychological case studies are useful for researchers to compare two people, groups, or events that appear similar on the surface but may be very different inside. For example, a psychologist could study two students in an introductory psychology class to see how their behaviors differ despite them being assigned to the same group project.
Case Studies are activities in which the applicant is challenged to study and understand facts or information to discuss one-on-one, in a group, or in writing. In other circumstances, the assessor will tell you what is going on rather than providing you with written information. Therefore, it is important that you pay attention during these interviews or risk being shown what else was happening around the time you were waiting for the phone to ring.
Every case study should begin with a question that forces the applicant to think about their experience and match it with something known from previous studies or jobs. For example, when interviewing for an administrative position, you might be asked to describe a day in your life at work. You would begin by listing everything that happened throughout the day and then compare it to an ideal day. The interviewer would look for ways that your description matched or failed to match this ideal day to see how you would handle certain situations. Other examples of questions include describing a team member, explaining a problem you encountered at work, or telling a story about a time you had to deal with conflict.
After you have been given several cases to study, you will be asked to predict what kind of job you would be best suited for based on how you responded to each one. The recruiter may also ask you to explain how you would go about solving some specific problems that they might give you after reviewing your responses.