Which of the following is an example of a case study? group of answer choices asking all general psychology students to complete a mood survey for extra credit asking all of the general psychology students to write in a journal before they go to sleep observing the study habits of students in the library versus those of students in the cafeteria assigning half the psychology students to computerized instruction and half to the traditional classroom conducting a series of interviews over a year with a student who has an anxiety disorder
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is:
Conducting a series of interviews over a year with a student who has an anxiety disorder.
Explanation:
A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth, detailed examination of an individual or a small group of people, often focusing on a specific phenomenon, behavior, or condition. In the context of psychology, case studies are used to gather comprehensive data about an individual’s experiences, thoughts, behaviors, and feelings, often over a prolonged period of time. This allows researchers to observe patterns, make connections, and draw conclusions that are specific to the case being studied.
In this case, the example of conducting a series of interviews over a year with a student who has an anxiety disorder is a classic case study approach. The researcher would collect qualitative data through interviews, which might include details about the student’s daily life, emotional state, coping mechanisms, and responses to treatment. By examining the student’s experiences over an extended period, the researcher could gain insights into how the anxiety disorder affects the student and track changes over time. This type of longitudinal case study helps provide a deep understanding of the individual’s condition, which is often not possible through other research methods like surveys or observational studies.
On the other hand, the other options listed are not case studies because they either involve groups or focus on broader phenomena rather than in-depth exploration of a single individual’s experiences:
- Asking all general psychology students to complete a mood survey for extra credit involves a survey methodology, where data is collected from a large group, and no deep focus is given to individual cases.
- Asking students to write in a journal before sleep is an exercise, not a study design meant for detailed individual examination.
- Observing the study habits of students in the library versus the cafeteria is an observational study, focusing on comparing two groups but without a deep dive into individual experiences.
- Assigning half the psychology students to computerized instruction and half to traditional classrooms describes an experimental design, comparing two methods of instruction, but it doesn’t involve the intensive study of a single case or individual.
Thus, the correct answer is the one that describes a series of interviews over a year with a student—this is the hallmark of a case study.