A fundamental research method used in psychology, mainly in cognitive functions, individual behaviours, and psychological disorders, is known as a case study. However, case studies are not limited to psychology only; they are used in various other disciplines such as law, medicine, technology, and more.
But in this blog, we will dive deep into how you need to master the case study approach to ace your assignment at your UK university. In psychology, a case study is a comprehensive examination of a phenomenon, individual or group. Case studies are mainly used to explore complicated psychological problems that people may not be able to test in a controlled environment easily. The main focus of a case study’s approach is to focus on qualitative data.
Before you start developing a case study on a psychological phenomenon, you need to understand the case study approach and use case study in psychology. Below, you will find more details about a case study approach and how to structure a case study assignment for the UK university in which you are studying.
Case Study Approach
A case study approach for psychology can be categorised into five different types.
- Explanatory Case Studies: This type of case study explores causal relationships and their underlying mechanisms. The way the mind works for different individuals and the reason behind it is discussed in explanatory case studies.
- Exploratory Case Studies: With the new age, new psychological phenomena are being discovered, and explorative case studies are used to study and investigate them in an in-depth manner to understand and be aware of such emerging psychological phenomena.
- Descriptive Case Studies: These are detailed reports or accounts of a group of people or an individual discussing their behaviour over time. This is a long-routed process which needs documentation of the said individual or group to make an accurate and comprehensive case study.
- Instrumental Case Studies: An example or a metaphor, or a particular case is used in this type of case study to understand an in-comparison broader issue.
- Intrinsic Case Studies: The intrinsic case studies are used to understand and delve deeper into rare psychological disorders.
To understand how you use these different types of case study approaches, you need to put them into context. The context will differ according to the topic that you have chosen or have been given to write a case study on. You could be examining and explaining real-life applications of certain psychological theories.
Understanding and being aware of the long-term effects of trauma is another context which is a sensitive topic and has long-term consequences. Speaking of trauma and its long-term effects, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, you can also use case studies to explore rare psychological disorders. Depending on the context, you can build your case study approach based on the topic you are writing on, and for the formatting, you consult the following outline.
Outline of a Case Study Assignment
Here’s where you get to showcase your skills in perfecting the case study with the proper structuring and outlining that a case study must include. Make sure you follow this structure and back your content with solid qualitative data to ensure a good score at your UK university.
Introduction
After you have selected your topic in psychology, you need to define the purpose of your case study. Move on to providing background information on the topic, like the age and gender of the person, if it is based on an individual or other relevant history of the subject/topic. Lastly, mention why this case is important and needs to be discussed and understood.
Literature Review
Here, you will need to discuss similar case studies, previous cases, incidents, or phenomena that have happened in the past. To contextualise your case, you can explore other research pieces and compare them with your case study subject. In similar cases and existing literature, try to find the gaps and highlight those gaps in your case study.
Methodology
The methodology of a case study involves including how you collected your data and materials for your case study. For example, the observations, medical records, and interviews could be termed as the method on how you collected the data and materials. You also need to justify why the case study method is appropriate and address ethical considerations, if any, in your case study.
Case Description
Describe your subject/topic background, psychological history and symptoms to make a detailed analysis. Key observations, behaviour and observations also need to be properly described in a case study for a psychology subject. You can also use direct quotes as a way to describe behaviour and observations but do maintain anonymity while doing so.
Analysis & Discussion
Now is the time to analyse and discuss the findings that you mentioned in the earlier content. You can start by comparing your findings with similar research and applying theories to interpret them. Consider if you have any alternative explanations for the observations and behaviours noted earlier, and also mention the limitations of the study.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you can summarise the main findings of your case study. Further, discuss the possible implications for future research or psychological practice. And lastly, suggest areas for further study.
Final Thoughts
If you need any assistance developing your case study for a psychology subject at your UK university, you can get help from Digi Assignment Help. Our team at Digi Assignment Help can assist with your psychology assignments to ensure that you secure high scores in them and as a result, succeed in your academic journey and career.
