Even today case histories are one of the main methods of investigation in abnormal psychology and psychiatry. This makes it clear that the case study is a method that should only be used by a psychologist, therapist or psychiatrist, i. someone with a professional qualification. There is an ethical issue of competence. Only someone qualified to diagnose and treat a person can conduct a formal case study relating to atypical i. abnormal behavior or atypical development. The procedure used in a case study means that the researcher provides a description of the behavior. This comes from interviews and other sources, such as observation.

The client also reports detail of events from his or her point of view. The researcher then writes up the information from both sources above as the case study, and interprets the information. The research may also continue for an extended period of time, so processes and developments can be studied as they happen. letters, photographs, notes or official document e. case notes, clinical notes, appraisal reports. the idiographic approach. The interview is also an extremely effective procedure for obtaining information about an individual, and it may be used to collect comments from the person's friends, parents, employer, workmates and others who have a good knowledge of the person, as well as to obtain facts from the person him or herself.

Most of this information is likely to be qualitative i. verbal description rather than measurement but the psychologist might collect numerical data as well. The data collected can be analyzed using different theories e. grounded theory, interpretative phenomenological analysis, text interpretation, e. thematic coding. All the approaches mentioned here use preconceived categories in the analysis and they are ideographic in their approach, i. they focus on the individual case without reference to a comparison group. Interpreting the information means the researcher decides what to include or leave out. A good case study should always make clear which information is the factual description and which is an inference or the opinion of the researcher.

Because of their in-depth, multi-sided approach case studies often shed light on aspects of human thinking and behavior that would be unethical or impractical to study in other ways. Research which only looks into the measurable aspects of human behavior is not likely to give us insights into the subjective dimension to experience which is so important to psychoanalytic and humanistic psychologists. However, through more research, it was discovered that her overall memory was not exceptional; rather, she only remembered details of her own life. She was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, with memories being part of her obsession.

This case study is still relevant because it has helped modern psychologists understand how mental illness affects memory. The case study has been cited extensively and laid the groundwork for other research into gender identity. Unfortunately, the case study was not legitimate. In this study, Dr. John Money performed surgery on an infant whose penis was damaged during circumcision. The boy was raised as a girl; however, he never identified as female and eventually went through more surgery to become male again. Because Dr. Anna O. was the pseudonym given to a German woman who was one of the first people to undergo psychoanalysis.

Her case inspired many of the theories of Freud and other prominent psychologists of the time. More recently, it has been suggested that Anna O. had another illness, such as epilepsy, from which she may have recovered during the period that the therapy lasted. This case study is still cited as a reason psychologists believe that psychotherapy, or talk therapy, can be helpful to many patients. As shown above, while case examples can provide valuable information and may inspire further research and study, they are not definitive proof of a theory. It is important to remember that case examples must be used ethically and legitimately. Case studies can be used to support theories, but the research must be sound.

When case studies are flawed —for example, through not having enough information or having the wrong information — they can be harmful. Valuable research hours and other resources can be wasted while theories are used for inappropriate treatment. Case studies can therefore cause as much harm as good, and psychologists must be careful about how and when they are used. Laypeople must be careful as well. Psychologists and doctors often disagree on how case studies should be applied. If you think a case study might apply to your case or that of a loved one, the best thing to do is ask a mental health professional. Case studies are descriptions of real people Those individuals are studied intensively and are often written about in medical journals and textbooks.

While some patients are happy to be studied for science, others are not as happy with their role as a test subjects. Also, some subjects are not treated with dignity and respect. Sometimes psychologists become ruthless in their pursuit of knowledge, and the humanity of the interaction between researcher and subject is lost. If you need therapy for a challenging life situation or mental disorder, help is available. BetterHelp therapists can help you find the correct treatment. Whatever problem you may face, a therapist can use case studies and other resources to treat you appropriately.

Contact BetterHelp today to get started. Researchers have reviewed the role of case studies in counseling and psychotherapy. At the end of the day, there are many good reasons that experimental studies examining groups are the most common types of psychological studies. However, case studies are also extremely valuable, particularly when group experiments are less feasible. Just as psychology is a large topic encompassing a wide variety of factors, both case studies and experimental group studies should be used in the larger overall strategy of psychology research. What is a case study? Why are case studies useful in psychology?

Wrapping up At the end of the day, there are many good reasons that experimental studies examining groups are the most common types of psychological studies. Author Details. Joaquín Selva Administrator. Joaquín Selva has a B. in psychology with a focus in behavioral neuroscience, and has co-authored three behavioral neuroscience papers. He also has experience with social psychology, psychopathology, computational neuroscience, and the history of psychology. Since graduating, he has written psychology articles for a number of publications and worked as an academic editor for papers in a variety of subjects.

A case study psychology is a type of research that uses real-life examples to help understand psychological concepts. This type of research can be used in a variety of settings, such as business, health care, education, and social services. Case studies are typically composed of three parts: the problem or issue, the intervention or treatment, and the outcome. The problem or issue is what caused the person to seek help, and the intervention or treatment is what was done to try to solve it. The outcome is how things changed after the intervention or treatment was implemented. To write a case study in psychology, you will need to do some research on the topic you are writing about.

Make sure that you read journal articles, books, a case study example, and any other reliable sources in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the topic. You will also need to find a suitable example or examples of how psychological concepts have been applied in real-life situations. For example, a psychology student might interview a friend about how she balances her time between work and studies. In this case, you can choose either a person or an event for your case study research. If you are writing about a specific event, look for past issues that relate to it and any ongoing ones that may have a connection to it.

You may choose to write about a specific problem or situation that affected the individual in some way, such as how it relates to their psychology. For example, you may want to study a man who has been in relationships with several women within the same time period and what effects this has on them. If you are writing about a person, obtain biographical information and look for any psychological assessments that have been done on the individual. Once you have gathered all the necessary information, it is time to go through it and identify important facts that will influence your paper.

This is where you use your skills of inductive and deductive reasoning, to analyze the information that you have gathered. You will usually look for patterns within this information and draw conclusions about how it has affected or contributed to their psychology. Once you have gathered all the relevant information, it is time to start drafting a plan for your case study. This case study format should include an introduction, body, and conclusion. The body of the case study should be divided into different sections that will discuss different aspects of the topic. Make sure that your argument is clear and concise, and that you use data to support your ideas, rather than simply stating them as facts or personal opinions.

As mentioned in the previous step, the body of the case study should be divided into different sections for effective writing. The introduction should include a short paragraph about what you plan to write in the study and what the case study method will be, while the conclusion should summarize your argument and leave the reader with a sense of closure. Each section in the body should have its own heading to help the reader follow your line of argument. Even if you are writing a case study on your own, break it down into small sections and make sure you include every aspect of the topic within each section. Think about how you will present your case study and what points are essential to make in the body.

Include details, quotes, infographics or numeric data that help support your arguments and overall conclusion. This is what makes a great case study: An overview of every aspect of the topic researched within it! In this section, you will introduce your topic and explain why it is significant in relation to the area of psychology that you are studying. In the theoretical introduction, you will write about the basic principles of human psychology and growth, then explain how you think this situation relates to your study topic. After explaining the theoretical part in detail, state why studying this particular aspect will help psychologists understand aspects of humanity within different areas such as sociology or anthropology. Researchers in psychology write case studies to gain an in-depth understanding of specific topics pertaining to their field.

For this reason, you should explain how you came across your sources of information and why this was beneficial to your research. In describing how the individual or event was studied, you may also include information about what you discovered through your research and why it is important. In this part of your essay, bring together all key points discussed in the course of writing the case study. You should summarize what you have written and state your own conclusions based on the research that you have conducted.

Once you have finished writing the case study, it is important to edit and proofread it carefully. This will help to correct any grammatical errors that may have slipped into the writing process, and will also ensure that you are producing an accurate document. You might find it helpful to seek advice from someone who has experience in this field before sending it off for submission. When submitting your case study, make sure that you are sending it to the correct journal or publication. Check the submission guidelines carefully to make sure that your case study meets all the requirements. By following these steps, you can create a well-written case study that will provide readers with a clear understanding of the topic at hand. Remember to take your time while researching and writing, and to be as thorough as possible in order to produce a high-quality document.

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