Clinical researchers are interested in gaining insight into the causes of abnormal behavior. One way that they do this is to delve deeply into the histories of patients with a common diagnosis, interviewing family, friends, teachers, therapists, physicians, babysitters, and others who can provide rich details about the patients’ lives. Then, researchers try to see if there are any common themes in the information gathered. What research method does this strategy represent? *
a. Experiment
b. Case study
c. Naturalistic observation
d. Quantitative analysis
e. Quasi-experiment
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is: b. Case study
Explanation:
The research method described involves deeply exploring the histories and backgrounds of patients with a specific diagnosis by gathering detailed qualitative information from multiple sources such as family, friends, teachers, therapists, physicians, and others. The goal is to identify common themes or patterns from these rich, descriptive data. This approach is a classic example of a case study.
What is a Case Study?
A case study is an in-depth, detailed examination of a single case or a small group of cases. It is primarily qualitative and focuses on collecting extensive information to understand complex phenomena, behaviors, or conditions within their real-life context. Researchers use multiple sources of evidence—interviews, observations, historical records, and documents—to gather a comprehensive view.
Why This is Not Other Methods:
- Experiment (a): An experiment involves manipulating one or more variables under controlled conditions to observe the effect on other variables, often using random assignment. The described strategy does not involve variable manipulation or control, so it is not an experiment.
- Naturalistic Observation (c): This method involves observing behavior in its natural environment without interference. While naturalistic observation involves real-life contexts, it focuses on direct observation rather than gathering historical or detailed interview data from multiple informants.
- Quantitative Analysis (d): Quantitative analysis involves collecting numerical data and applying statistical methods to test hypotheses or relationships between variables. The described strategy focuses on qualitative, descriptive data, not numeric or statistical analysis.
- Quasi-Experiment (e): A quasi-experiment resembles an experiment but lacks random assignment. Since the described strategy does not involve any manipulation of variables or control groups, it cannot be considered a quasi-experiment.
Summary:
Case studies allow clinical researchers to gain rich, holistic insights into patients’ backgrounds and the potential causes of their abnormal behavior by deeply exploring multiple perspectives and sources. This method is ideal when researchers want to understand complex phenomena in context, rather than test specific hypotheses through manipulation or controlled observation. The qualitative nature and depth of information gathered define the approach as a case study.