In psychology, a case study is an in-depth study of one person. In a case study, nearly every aspect of the subject's life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes for behavior. The hope is that learning gained from studying one case can be generalized to many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend to be highly subjective and it is difficult to generalize results to a larger population.
Types of case study:
Explanatory: Used to do causal investigations.
Exploratory: A case study that is sometimes used as a prelude to further, more in-depth research. This allows researchers to gather more information before developing their research questions and hypotheses.
Descriptive: Involves starting with a descriptive theory. The subjects are then observed and the information gathered is compared to the pre-existing theory.
Intrinsic: A type of case study in which the researcher has a personal interest in the case.
Collective: Involves studying a group of individuals.
Instrumental: Occurs when the individual or group allows researchers to understand more than what is initially obvious to observers
