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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.
Question: 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.
Sample answer: The three primary methodological limitations of case studies are: first, a lack of internal validity due to the absence of strict experimental controls, which makes it impossible to establish causation or rule out alternative explanations; second, poor external validity because case studies focus on a single, often atypical individual, meaning their findings cannot be generalized to the wider population; and third, high susceptibility to researcher bias, as the subjective nature of the analysis allows the researcher's theoretical views to influence the case description. Instead of supporting theories, case studies should be used for generating hypotheses.
Key points:
- Lack of internal validity makes it impossible to determine causation or rule out alternative explanations due to missing experimental controls.
- Poor external validity means findings from a single, atypical individual cannot be generalized to the broader population.
- High susceptibility to researcher bias, where subjective analysis allows theoretical views to influence the case description.
- Case studies should never be used as empirical evidence to support theories, but rather to generate hypotheses.
Rubric: To receive full credit, the answer must identify and explain: 1) the lack of internal validity/experimental controls preventing causal conclusions, 2) the poor external validity/generalizability due to studying a single, atypical individual, 3) the risk of researcher bias/subjective influence, and 4) that case studies should be used to generate hypotheses rather than provide empirical support for theories.
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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