This method involves studying one individual or one social group in detail.
Case studies are often used when looking at people who have gone through an unusual experience or they are used when looking at exceptional cases e.g. looking at an individual with a rare mental disorder.
It can be used to look at a broad range of traits as opposed to a small number of traits that can easily be looked at in a laboratory.
Advantages
- Highly detailed data is collected.
- The data is high in Ecological Validity
- It is often the only suitable method. E.g. Teaching a Chimpanzee to speak. (Gardner and Gardner 1969)
- It is the only suitable method when researching very rare cases. E.g. A Case of Multiple Personality. Thigpen and Cleckley (1954)
Disadvantages
- It lacks generalisability to the rest of the population due to having a very small and unrepresentative sample.
- No cause and effect can be legitimately established.
- Very difficult to replicate. Low reliability
- Time Consuming and Expensive
- Problems with a participants’ memory distortions when recalling past events. Validity problems
- More potential for observer bias due to the subjective nature of the method.
- Can lead to subject attrition (Loss of Participants)
