Case Study Practical Exercises in Psychology | 心理学案例分析实战演练

📚 Case Study Practical Exercises in Psychology | 心理学案例分析实战演练

Case studies allow us to explore human behaviour in a rich, real-world context. In Year 7 CCEA Psychology, learning how to analyse a case study sharpens your ability to connect theory with practice, evaluate evidence, and think critically about the mind and behaviour. This article presents several classic and practical case scenarios, guiding you through the steps of psychological investigation.

案例研究让我们能够在丰富的真实情境中探索人类行为。在 CCEA 七年级心理学中，学习如何分析案例研究能够提高你将理论与实践联系起来、评估证据以及批判性思考心理与行为的能力。本文呈现了几个经典和实用的案例情境，引导你完成心理学探究的各个步骤。

1. What Is a Case Study? | 什么是案例研究？

A case study is an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event. Psychologists gather detailed information using interviews, observations, questionnaires, and sometimes psychological tests. The aim is to build a complete picture of the subject’s experiences, thoughts, and actions.

案例研究是对单一个体、群体或事件的深入调查。心理学家通过访谈、观察、问卷，有时还有心理测验来收集详细信息，旨在全面了解研究对象的经历、思想和行为。

Unlike large-scale experiments, case studies do not manipulate variables. Instead, they describe and interpret naturally occurring behaviour. This makes them especially useful for studying rare phenomena or unique personal histories.

与大规模实验不同，案例研究不操控变量，而是描述和解释自然发生的行为。这使得案例研究特别适用于研究罕见现象或独特的个人历史。

However, findings from a single case may not apply to everyone. This limitation is called low generalisability. Yet the rich detail often inspires new hypotheses and helps us understand psychological principles in everyday life.

然而，单个案例的发现可能并不适用于所有人。这一局限被称为低概括性。但丰富的细节往往能激发新的假设，并帮助我们理解日常生活中的心理学原理。

2. The Case of Little Albert | 小阿尔伯特案例

In 1920, John Watson and Rosalie Rayner conducted a famous case study with an infant known as Little Albert. They wanted to show that emotional responses, such as fear, could be learned through classical conditioning.

1920 年，约翰·华生和罗莎莉·雷纳对一个被称为小阿尔伯特的婴儿进行了一项著名的案例研究。他们想证明情绪反应（如恐惧）可以通过经典条件作用习得。

Initially, Albert showed no fear of a white rat. The researchers then paired the presentation of the rat with a loud, frightening noise. After several pairings, Albert began to cry and crawl away whenever the rat appeared, even without the noise.

起初，阿尔伯特不害怕白鼠。研究者随后将白鼠的出现与一个巨大吓人的声响配对呈现。经过多次配对后，只要老鼠一出现，即使没有声响，阿尔伯特也会哭泣并爬开。

This single-subject case study provided compelling evidence for behaviourist theories. However, ethical questions remain about deliberately inducing fear in an infant and the lack of follow-up to reverse the conditioning.

这项单一被试案例研究为行为主义理论提供了有力证据。然而，关于故意在婴儿身上诱发恐惧以及未能跟进逆转条件作用的问题，仍存在伦理争议。

Practice question: What was the unconditioned stimulus in Little Albert’s case, and what did it become through conditioning?

练习题：在小阿尔伯特的案例中，什么是无条件刺激？经过条件作用后它变成了什么？

3. Memory in Action: The Eyewitness Case | 记忆实战：目击者案例

Elizabeth Loftus has used case-like experiments to show that memory is reconstructive. Consider a scenario where a person witnesses a car accident. The witness might later be asked, ‘How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?’

伊丽莎白·洛夫特斯利用类似案例的实验证明记忆是重构的。设想这样一个情境：一个人目睹了一场车祸。该目击者随后可能被问到：“两车相撞时速度有多快？”

Studies show that the verb used in the question – ‘smashed’ versus ‘hit’ – can change the witness’s estimate of speed. This demonstrates how leading questions can alter memory.

研究表明，问题中使用的动词——“相撞”与“碰撞”——会改变目击者对速度的估计。这表明引导性问题会改变记忆。

In a case study of a real crime, inaccurate eyewitness testimony may lead to wrongful convictions. Psychologists analyse such cases to understand memory distortion, suggestibility, and the role of stress in recall.

在真实犯罪的案例研究中，不准确的目击证词可能导致误判。心理学家分析此类案例是为了理解记忆扭曲、受暗示性以及压力在回忆中的作用。

Your turn: Design a short scenario and two alternative questions that might influence a witness’s memory. Explain why memory might be unreliable.

轮到你了：设计一个简短的情境和两个可能影响目击者记忆的备选问题。解释为什么记忆可能不可靠。

4. Social Influence: Conformity Case with Asch | 社会影响：阿希从众案例

Solomon Asch’s line judgment studies, often discussed as group case examples, revealed how people conform to majority pressure. In a typical case, a participant in a group with confederates (actors) would be asked which of three lines matched a standard line.

所罗门·阿希的线条判断研究，通常被讨论为群体案例，揭示了人们如何屈从于多数人压力。在一个典型案例中，参与者与一群“托儿”（演员）同组，需要说出三条线中哪一条与标准线等长。

When confederates unanimously gave a wrong answer, many real participants conformed and also gave the wrong answer at least once. This case highlights the power of normative social influence – the desire to fit in.

当托儿们一致给出错误答案时，许多真实的参与者至少一次会遵从并给出错误答案。这一案例凸显了规范性社会影响的力量——渴望融入群体。

You can analyse a recent school-based case: a student knows the correct answer in class but stays silent because the rest of the class gives a different answer. Apply Asch’s findings to explain this behaviour.

你可以分析一个近期的校园案例：一名学生在课堂上知道正确答案，但因全班给出不同答案而保持沉默。运用阿希的发现来解释这种行为。

5. Attachment: Strange Situation Case Profiles | 依恋：陌生情境案例画像

Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation procedure produced detailed case descriptions of infant attachment styles. Infants were observed during separations and reunions with their caregiver. From these observations, Ainsworth classified attachment as secure, insecure-avoidant, or insecure-resistant.

玛丽·安斯沃思的陌生情境程序产生了对婴儿依恋风格的详细案例描述。观察婴儿在与照料者分离和重聚时的表现，安斯沃思将依恋分为安全型、不安全-回避型和不安全-反抗型。

Case study example: ‘Baby Emma actively explores the playroom while her mother is present, shows distress when mother leaves, and is quickly comforted upon reunion.’ This profile fits secure attachment, linked to sensitive and responsive caregiving.

案例示例：“小艾玛在妈妈在场时积极探索游戏室，妈妈离开时表现出不安，重聚后很快得到安慰。”这种画像符合安全型依恋，与敏感且回应及时的照料相关联。

Now examine another profile: ‘Baby Leo ignores his caregiver when she returns and treats a stranger similarly.’ Identify the attachment style and predict potential long-term social outcomes based on attachment research.

现在分析另一种画像：“小里奥在照料者回来时不理睬她，对待陌生人也差不多。”识别依恋风格，并根据依恋研究预测可能出现的长期社交结果。

6. Cognitive Development: Piaget’s Conservation Tasks | 认知发展：皮亚杰守恒任务

Jean Piaget used clinical case interviews to study how children think. In a conservation of volume task, a child is shown two identical glasses of water. The water from one glass is poured into a taller, thinner glass. A pre-operational child (under about 7) will typically say there is more water in the taller glass.

让·皮亚杰使用临床案例访谈来研究儿童的思维方式。在体积守恒任务中，先给孩子看两杯一样的水，然后将其中一杯倒入一个更高更细的杯子。前运算阶段（约 7 岁以下）的儿童通常会认为高杯子里的水更多。

This case reveals the child’s centration – focusing on one dimension (height) while ignoring another (width). As children enter the concrete operational stage, they develop the ability to reason logically about conservation.

这一案例揭示了儿童的集中化倾向——只关注一个维度（高度）而忽略另一个维度（宽度）。随着儿童进入具体运算阶段，他们发展出对守恒进行逻辑推理的能力。

Create your own conservation case: design a simple task with counters or clay, and predict how a 5-year-old and a 9-year-old would respond. Explain why their answers would differ according to Piaget’s stages.

创建你自己的守恒案例：设计一个使用计数片或橡皮泥的简单任务，并预测 5 岁和 9 岁儿童会如何回应。根据皮亚杰的阶段理论解释他们的答案为何不同。

7. Brain and Behaviour: The Case of Phineas Gage | 大脑与行为：菲尼亚斯·盖奇案例

One of the most famous case studies in psychology is that of Phineas Gage, a railroad worker who survived an accident in 1848 in which an iron rod pierced his frontal lobe. Before the accident, Gage was described as responsible and hard-working.

心理学中最著名的案例研究之一是菲尼亚斯·盖奇，他是一名铁路工人，在 1848 年的一次事故中幸存，一根铁棍刺穿了他的额叶。事故前，盖奇被描述为负责任、工作勤奋。

After his recovery, his personality changed dramatically. He became impulsive, disrespectful, and unable to plan for the future. This case provided early evidence that the frontal lobes play a crucial role in regulating personality, decision-making, and social behaviour.

康复后，他的性格发生了巨大变化。他变得冲动、无礼，无法规划未来。这一案例提供了早期证据，表明额叶在调节人格、决策和社会行为方面起着关键作用。

Modern psychologists still debate the exact extent of Gage’s changes, but the case study remains a powerful teaching tool for understanding brain-behaviour relationships. Consider how case studies like this can be used to support biological explanations of behaviour.

现代心理学家仍在争论盖奇变化的确切程度，但该案例研究仍然是理解大脑-行为关系的有力教学工具。思考如何利用此类案例研究来支持行为的生物学解释。

8. Designing Your Own Case Study | 设计你自己的案例研究

Imagine you want to investigate test anxiety in a Year 7 student. To design a case study, you would start by identifying your research aim: for example, ‘To understand the triggers and coping strategies of test anxiety in a 12-year-old pupil.’

假设你想调查一名七年级学生的考试焦虑。要设计案例研究，你首先要明确研究目的：例如，“了解一名 12 岁学生考试焦虑的诱因和应对策略”。

Next, choose your methods. You might conduct a semi-structured interview with the pupil, ask them to keep a diary of anxious thoughts, observe their behaviour before a test, and gather school reports. Combining multiple sources – called triangulation – strengthens your findings.

接下来，选择你的方法。你可以对该学生进行半结构化访谈，要求他们记录焦虑想法的日记，在考试前观察他们的行为，并收集学校报告。综合多种来源（称为三角互证法）可以增强你的发现。

Finally, organise your data into a narrative timeline. Identify patterns, such as increased anxiety during maths tests, and relate them to psychological concepts like self-efficacy or negative automatic thoughts. Present your case study with anonymised data to protect privacy.

最后，将你的数据整理成一个叙事时间线。识别模式，例如数学考试期间焦虑增加，并将其与自我效能感或消极自动思维等心理学概念联系起来。在呈现案例研究时要使用匿名数据以保护隐私。

9. Ethical Considerations in Case Study Research | 案例研究中的伦理考量

Any case study involving people must follow strict ethical guidelines. Informed consent means the participant (and a guardian if under 16) fully understands the purpose, procedures, and right to withdraw at any time without penalty.

任何涉及人的案例研究都必须遵循严格的伦理准则。知情同意意味着参与者（如果未满 16 岁还需监护人）完全理解研究的目的、程序以及随时无条件退出的权利。

Confidentiality is crucial. Researchers must protect the identity of individuals by using pseudonyms and avoiding unnecessary personal details. In the Little Albert case, his real name was never revealed, but the video record still raises questions about long-term harm.

保密至关重要。研究者必须通过使用化名和避免不必要的个人细节来保护个体身份。在小阿尔伯特的案例中，他的真实姓名从未公开，但视频记录仍然引发了有关长期伤害的问题。

In a school-based case study, you would need permission from the head teacher, parents, and the student. You must also provide a debrief afterwards, explaining the findings and ensuring the participant feels comfortable with how their data was used.

在学校案例研究中，你需要获得校长、家长和学生的许可。你还必须在事后提供简报，解释研究发现，并确保参与者对数据的使用方式感到放心。

10. Evaluating Case Study Evidence | 评估案例研究证据

When you read a case study, always ask critical questions: Was the sample size appropriate? (Remember, case studies often have a sample of one, but that is by design.) What type of data was collected – qualitative or quantitative?

当你阅读案例研究时，要始终提出批判性问题：样本量是否合适？（记住，案例研究通常只有一个样本，但这是有意为之。）收集的数据是定性还是定量的？

Qualitative data, like interview transcripts, provides richness but may be open to researcher bias. To increase objectivity, use multiple observers and check interpretations with the participant (member checking).

定性数据，如访谈转录稿，提供了丰富性但可能受到研究者偏见的影响。为增加客观性，使用多位观察者并与参与者核对解释（成员核查）。

Case studies are not designed for statistical generalisation, but they can provide theoretical insight. Evaluate a case by comparing it with other similar cases. If several cases show the same pattern, confidence in the explanation grows.

案例研究不是为了统计推广而设计的，但它们可以提供理论见解。通过与其他类似案例进行比较来评估案例。如果几个案例呈现出相同模式，那么对该解释的信心就会增加。

Final task: Choose one case from this article. Write three evaluative points about its strengths and limitations, using psychological terminology such as ecological validity, subjectivity, and applicability.

最终任务：从本文中选择一个案例。使用生态效度、主观性和适用性等心理学术语，写出关于其优点和局限的三点评述。

Published by TutorHao | Psychology Revision Series | aleveler.com

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