Which of the following describes a significant methodological limitation of using case studies in psychological research?

Match each methodological limitation of case studies with the specific reason it occurs in psychological research.

A researcher conducts a year-long case study on a patient who recovered from a rare phobia after using a specific herbal remedy. This extensive documentation provides the necessary internal validity for the researcher to conclude that the remedy was the definitive cause of the recovery.

A researcher attempts to use a case study to prove that a specific therapy causes recovery from a rare phobia. Arrange the following steps of a methodological critique in the logical order that explains why this case study fails to provide empirical support for the researcher's theory.

A researcher reports that a single patient's chronic insomnia disappeared after they began practicing a specific meditation technique. To analyze why this case study cannot be used as empirical evidence for a theory, arrange the logical components of a methodological critique in the correct order.

A researcher publishes an intensive case study of a single patient who recovered from a rare anxiety disorder after using a specific herbal supplement. Based on the methodological limitations of case studies, the researcher is scientifically justified in concluding that the supplement is an empirically proven treatment for the general population of anxiety patients.

Which of the following describes a major methodological limitation of case studies in psychological research?

Match each methodological limitation of a case study with the specific scientific problem it creates for psychological research.

A researcher claims that a new therapeutic technique is universally effective after observing one patient's dramatic recovery. A psychologist would reject this conclusion because a case study focusing on a single, atypical individual lacks _____ validity, making it impossible to generalize the findings to the broader population.

A researcher concludes that a successful case study of a single patient 'proves' that a new meditation technique is the direct cause of their recovery from anxiety. A scientific evaluator would judge this conclusion as invalid because case studies lack the strict experimental controls required to establish _____ validity.

Describe the three primary methodological limitations of case studies in psychological research, and identify what case studies should actually be used for instead of supporting theories.

Based on the methodological limitations of case studies, explain why this researcher's claims of treatment effectiveness and theoretical support are invalid. Address internal validity, external validity, and researcher bias in your response.

A clinical psychologist wants to test a new therapeutic hypothesis. Explain how the psychologist should utilize a case study in their research plan without violating the methodological rules regarding theoretical evidence.