1. RESEARCH METHODS
Of Psychology

2. II.RESEARCH METHODS I. Case Studies RESEARCH METHODS
study of one individual in great
depth(use observations, tests,
interviews, & analysis of written
records )
Ex. people w/brain damage & Genie
Case studies examines one individual in depth in the hope of revealing things true of us all. Some examples: Much of our early knowledge about the brain came from case studies of individuals who suffered a particular impairment after damage to a certain brain region. Jean Piaget taught us about children’s thinking after carefully observing and questioning only a few children. Studies of only a few chimpanzees revealed their capacity for understanding and language. Intensive case studies are sometimes very revealing. They show us what can happen, and they often suggest directions for further study.
Date: 1970, Age: 13, California, USA
Years in confinement: 13
In 1868, Phineas Gage, a foreman on a railroad work crew, had a 13- pound steel rod blown through the front of his brain in an accident. The resultant brain damage was equivalent to a frontal lobotomy, an operation that could not be ethically performed on a healthy person. By observing Mr. Gage, scientists obtained information concerning physical and psychological changes in a person with a frontal lobotomy.
DISADV.
- not necessarily representative of the
general population
- can’t replicate study
- ethics
RESEARCH METHODS

3. II.RESEARCH METHODS RESEARCH METHODS
2. Naturalistic Observation (field work)
watching & recording the behavior of an
organism in their natural environment.
Naturalistic Observations ranges from watching chimpanzee societies in the jungle, to unobtrusively videotaping and later systematically analyzing parent-child interactions in different cultures, to recording students’ self-seating patterns in the lunchrooms of multi-racial schools.
It does NOT EXPLAIN behavior. It DESCRIBES it. Nevertheless, descriptions can be revealing.
We used to think that humans were the only species that were intelligent enough to use tools. Then naturalistic observation revealed that chimpanzees sometimes insert a stick in a termite mound & withdraw it, eating the stick’s load of termites. Jane Goodall said, Observations made in the natural habitat helped show that the societies and behavior of animals are far more complex than previously supposed.
Our book gave the example using natural observations of children to help gender difference in adults.
RESEARCH METHODS

4. II.RESEARCH METHODS RESEARCH METHODS
2. Naturalistic Observation (field work)
watching & recording the behavior of an
organism in their natural environment.
Naturalistic Observations ranges from watching chimpanzee societies in the jungle, to unobtrusively videotaping and later systematically analyzing parent-child interactions in different cultures, to recording students’ self-seating patterns in the lunchrooms of multi-racial schools.
Advantages: Study Unethical Topics
For example, while it would be unethical to study the effects of imprisonment by actually confining subjects, researchers can gather information by using naturalistic observation in real prison settings.
Disadvantages: It does NOT EXPLAIN behavior. It DESCRIBES it. Nevertheless, descriptions can be revealing.
We used to think that humans were the only species that were intelligent enough to use tools. Then naturalistic observation revealed that chimpanzees sometimes insert a stick in a termite mound & withdraw it, eating the stick’s load of termites. Jane Goodall said tObservations made in the natural habitat helped show that the societies and behavior of animals are far more complex than previously supposed.
ADV.
- provides large amounts of rich data
- can study unethical topics
DISADV.
- can’t tell us why – cause/effect
- observations can be distorted if observers expect certain behaviors
RESEARCH METHODS