What Is a Case Study?

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPros and ConsExamplesWhat Types of Case Studies Are Out There?Where Do You Find Data for a Case Study?How Do I Write a Psychology Case Study?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Pros and Cons

Examples

What Types of Case Studies Are Out There?

Where Do You Find Data for a Case Study?

How Do I Write a Psychology Case Study?

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A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case study, nearly every aspect of the subject’s life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of behavior. Case studies can be used in many different fields, including psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work.

The point of a case study is to learn as much as possible about an individual or group so that the information can be generalized to many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend to be highly subjective, and it is sometimes difficult to generalize results to a larger population.

While case studies focus on a single individual or group, they follow a format similar to other types of psychology writing. If you are writing a case study, we got you—here are somerules of APA formatto reference.

At a GlanceA case study, or an in-depth study of a person, group, or event, can be a useful research tool when used wisely. In many cases, case studies are best used in situations where it would be difficult or impossible for you to conduct an experiment. They are helpful for looking at unique situations and allow researchers to gather a lot of˜ information about a specific individual or group of people. However, it’s important to be cautious of any bias we draw from them as they are highly subjective.

At a Glance

A case study, or an in-depth study of a person, group, or event, can be a useful research tool when used wisely. In many cases, case studies are best used in situations where it would be difficult or impossible for you to conduct an experiment. They are helpful for looking at unique situations and allow researchers to gather a lot of˜ information about a specific individual or group of people. However, it’s important to be cautious of any bias we draw from them as they are highly subjective.

What Are the Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies?

A case study can have its strengths and weaknesses. Researchers must consider these pros and cons before deciding if this type of study is appropriate for their needs.

Pros

One of the greatest advantages of a case study is that it allows researchers to investigate things that are often difficult or impossible to replicate in a lab. Some other benefits of a case study:

Cons

On the other hand, a case study can have some drawbacks:

Researchers may choose to perform a case study if they want to explore a unique or recently discovered phenomenon. Through their insights, researchers develop additional ideas and study questions that might be explored in future studies.

It’s important to remember that the insights from case studies cannot be used to determine cause-and-effect relationships between variables. However, case studies may be used to develop hypotheses that can then be addressed in experimental research.

Case Study Examples

There have been a number of notable case studies in the history of psychology. Much ofFreud’s workand theories were developed through individual case studies. Some great examples of case studies in psychology include:

Such cases demonstrate how case research can be used to study things that researchers could not replicate in experimental settings. In Genie’s case, her horrific abuse denied her the opportunity to learn a language at critical points in her development.

This is clearly not something researchers could ethically replicate, but conducting a case study on Genie allowed researchers to study phenomena that are otherwise impossible to reproduce.

Topics for Psychology Case Studies

There are a few different types of case studies that psychologists and other researchers might use:

The three main case study types often used are intrinsic, instrumental, and collective. Intrinsic case studies are useful for learning about unique cases. Instrumental case studies help look at an individual to learn more about a broader issue. A collective case study can be useful for looking at several cases simultaneously.

The type of case study that psychology researchers use depends on the unique characteristics of the situation and the case itself.

How Do Cross-Sectional Studies Work?

If you have been directed to write a case study for a psychology course, be sure to check with your instructor for any specific guidelines you need to follow. If you are writing your case study for a professional publication, check with the publisher for their specific guidelines for submitting a case study.

Here is a general outline of what should be included in a case study.

Section 1: A Case History

This section will have the following structure and content:

Background information: The first section of your paper will present your client’s background. Include factors such as age, gender, work, health status, family mental health history, family and social relationships, drug and alcohol history, life difficulties, goals, and coping skills and weaknesses.

Description of the presenting problem: In the next section of your case study, you will describe the problem or symptoms that the client presented with.

Your diagnosis: Provide your diagnosis and give the appropriateDiagnostic and Statistical Manualcode. Explain how you reached your diagnosis, how the client’s symptoms fit the diagnostic criteria for the disorder(s), or any possible difficulties in reaching a diagnosis.

Section 2: Treatment Plan

This portion of the paper will address the chosen treatment for the condition. This might also include the theoretical basis for the chosen treatment or any other evidence that might exist to support why this approach was chosen.

This section of a case study should also include information about the treatment goals, process, and outcomes.

Discussion

When you are writing a case study, you should also include a section where you discuss the case study itself, including the strengths and limitiations of the study. You should note how the findings of your case study might support previous research.

In your discussion section, you should also describe some of the implications of your case study. What ideas or findings might require further exploration? How might researchers go about exploring some of these questions in additional studies?

Need More Tips?Here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind when formatting your case study:Never refer to the subject of your case study as “the client.” Instead, use their name or a pseudonym.Read examples of case studies to gain an idea about the style and format.Remember to use APA format whenciting references.

Need More Tips?

Here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind when formatting your case study:Never refer to the subject of your case study as “the client.” Instead, use their name or a pseudonym.Read examples of case studies to gain an idea about the style and format.Remember to use APA format whenciting references.

Here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind when formatting your case study:

2 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Gagnon, Yves-Chantal.The Case Study as Research Method: A Practical Handbook. Canada, Chicago Review Press Incorporated DBA Independent Pub Group, 2010.Yin, Robert K.Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. United States, SAGE Publications, 2017.

Gagnon, Yves-Chantal.The Case Study as Research Method: A Practical Handbook. Canada, Chicago Review Press Incorporated DBA Independent Pub Group, 2010.

Yin, Robert K.Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. United States, SAGE Publications, 2017.

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