📚 Year 7 SQA Psychology: Case Study Practice | SQA 心理学：案例分析实战演练
Case studies are a fascinating window into the real lives of individuals. In this article, you will learn how psychologists use in‑depth investigations to understand behaviour, exploring what makes a case study special, how to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly — how to analyse a case yourself. Ready to think like a psychologist? Let’s begin your practical drill.
案例研究是观察真实个人生活的一扇迷人窗口。在本文中，你将学习心理学家如何通过深入调查来理解行为，探索案例研究的独特之处，评估其优点和缺点，以及最重要的是——如何亲自分析一个案例。准备好像心理学家一样思考了吗？让我们开始实战演练。
1. Understanding Case Studies | 理解案例分析
A case study is a detailed investigation of one person, a small group, or a unique event. Psychologists collect rich, qualitative data — often using interviews, observations, and diaries — to build a complete picture of the subject’s experiences and behaviour.
案例研究是对一个人、一个小群体或一个独特事件的详细调查。心理学家收集丰富的定性数据——通常通过访谈、观察和日记——来构建关于研究对象经历和行为的完整图像。
Unlike surveys or experiments that look at many people and produce numbers, a case study focuses on depth, not breadth. It asks ‘why’ and ‘how’ rather than just ‘how many’.
与调查许多人并产生数字的问卷或实验不同，案例研究注重深度而非广度。它问的是“为什么”和“怎么样”，而不仅仅是“有多少”。
2. Why Use Case Studies? | 为什么使用案例研究？
Case studies allow psychologists to explore rare or unusual conditions that cannot be ethically created in a lab. For example, it would be impossible to damage someone’s brain just to study memory loss — but if a person already has a brain injury, studying them helps us understand how memory works.
案例研究让心理学家能够探索在实验室中无法以伦理方式制造的罕见或不寻常状况。例如，不可能为了研究记忆丧失而损伤某人的大脑——但如果某人已经存在脑损伤，研究他们就有助于我们理解记忆如何运作。
Moreover, case studies generate new hypotheses. A single fascinating case can spark decades of research and lead to important theories about human behaviour.
此外，案例研究能催生新的假设。一个引人入胜的案例就能激发数十年的研究，并引出关于人类行为的重要理论。
3. Famous Example: HM | 著名案例：HM
One of the most famous case studies in psychology is HM (Henry Molaison). To treat severe epilepsy, surgeons removed parts of his brain – including the hippocampus. After the operation, HM could no longer form new long‑term memories, although his short‑term memory and skills like drawing improved with practice.
心理学中最著名的案例研究之一是HM（亨利·莫莱森）。为了治疗严重的癫痫，外科医生切除了他大脑的部分区域——包括海马体。手术后，HM 再也无法形成新的长期记忆，尽管他的短期记忆和绘画等技能可以通过练习得到提高。
This case revolutionised our understanding of memory. It showed that different brain regions handle different types of memory, and it remains a key example of how studying one individual can transform an entire field.
该案例彻底改变了我们对记忆的理解。它表明不同的大脑区域处理不同类型的记忆，至今仍然是研究个体如何改变整个领域的关键实例。
4. Strengths of Case Studies | 案例研究的优点
Case studies provide incredibly rich, detailed information. They capture the complexity of human life in a way that numbers alone cannot. This helps us understand the real‑life context behind a behaviour.
案例研究提供了极其丰富、详细的信息。它们捕捉到人类生活的复杂性，这是单纯的数字无法做到的。这有助于我们理解行为背后的现实生活背景。
They are also a powerful tool for investigating unique, one‑of‑a‑kind cases. When a condition is extremely rare, a case study may be the only feasible way to study it.
它们也是调查独特、独一无二案例的强大工具。当某种状况极其罕见时，案例研究可能是唯一可行的研究方式。
5. Weaknesses of Case Studies | 案例研究的缺点
Because case studies focus on one individual or a tiny group, their findings cannot easily be generalised. What is true for HM may not apply to everyone with a similar brain injury.
由于案例研究聚焦于单个个体或极小的群体，其发现很难被推广。对 HM 成立的情况可能并不适用于所有有类似脑损伤的人。
Researcher bias is another concern. A psychologist who spends years with a participant might interpret events subjectively, seeing what they expect to see. Gathering data retrospectively also relies on memory, which can be inaccurate.
研究者偏见是另一个问题。与参与者相处多年的心理学家可能会主观地解释事件，看到他们期望看到的东西。回顾性地收集数据也依赖于记忆，而记忆可能不准确。
6. Ethical Issues | 伦理问题
Case studies raise important ethical questions. Participants’ privacy must be protected, often by using initials or pseudonyms like ‘HM’. However, details published in a case study might still make the person identifiable.
案例研究引发了重要的伦理问题。参与者的隐私必须受到保护，通常通过使用首字母或化名（如“HM”）来实现。然而，案例研究中发表的细节仍可能使当事人被识别出来。
Informed consent is essential, yet in classic cases like HM, it wasn’t always handled by today’s standards. Psychologists must weigh the benefits of knowledge against the right to confidentiality and psychological well‑being.
知情同意至关重要，但在经典案例如 HM 中，按照今天的标准来看，这一点并不总是得到妥善处理。心理学家必须权衡知识带来的益处与保密权和心理健康权。
7. How to Analyse a Case Study | 如何分析一个案例
Analysing a case study involves breaking it down into manageable steps. You need to describe what happened, identify possible causes of the behaviour, evaluate the method used, and suggest implications or further questions.
分析一个案例需要将其分解为可操作的步骤。你需要描述发生了什么，确定行为的可能原因，评估所使用的方法，并提出启示或进一步的问题。
Use the ‘Describe – Explain – Evaluate – Conclude’ framework. This will help you structure your answer logically and show real psychological thinking.
使用“描述 – 解释 – 评估 – 结论”框架。这将帮助你逻辑清晰地组织答案，并展示真正的心理学思维。
8. Step 1: Describe the Case | 步骤 1：描述案例
Begin by summarising the key facts. Who is the participant? What behaviour or condition is being studied? When and where did the investigation take place? Keep this part concise – only include details that are relevant to understanding the behaviour.
首先总结关键事实。参与者是谁？正在研究什么行为或状况？调查是在何时何地进行的？保持这一部分简洁——只包含与理解行为相关的细节。
For example: ‘The case study focuses on a 10‑year‑old girl named Lily who developed a strong fear of dogs after being barked at loudly in a park.’
例如：“该案例研究聚焦于一个名叫莉莉的10岁女孩，她在公园被狗大声吼叫后产生了对狗的强烈恐惧。”
9. Step 2: Identify Key Variables | 步骤 2：识别关键变量
Think about what could have influenced the behaviour. In psychology, we look for the independent variable (the thing that changes or is different) and the dependent variable (the behaviour or outcome). In case studies, these are often identified by comparing before and after an event.
思考哪些因素可能影响了行为。在心理学中，我们会寻找自变量（变化或不同的因素）与因变量（行为或结果）。在案例研究中，通常通过比较事件前后来进行识别。
In Lily’s case, the loud barking incident could be seen as the trigger (the key variable), while her fearful avoidance is the resulting behaviour. Also note any background factors, such as no previous fear of dogs.
在莉莉的案例中，大声的狗吠事件可视为触发器（关键变量），而她表现出的恐惧回避行为则是结果。同时也要注意任何背景因素，比如她之前并不怕狗。
10. Step 3: Evaluate Methods | 步骤 3：评估方法
How was the information gathered? Was it through interviews, observation, questionnaires, or a combination? Assess the strengths and limitations of these techniques in this specific case.
信息是如何收集的？是通过访谈、观察、问卷还是组合方式？评估这些技术在该特定案例中的优点和局限性。
| Method / 方法 | Strength / 优点 | Weakness / 缺点 |
|---|---|---|
| Interview / 访谈 | Captures detailed personal feelings / 捕捉详细的个人感受 | Social desirability bias; memory errors / 社会赞许性偏差；记忆错误 |
| Observation / 观察 | Sees behaviour in natural setting / 在自然环境中观察行为 | Observer bias; participant may act differently / 观察者偏见；参与者可能表现不同 |
For Lily, if only her parents were interviewed, the data may be second‑hand and distorted by their own worries. A video observation of Lily encountering a dog would add valuable direct evidence.
对于莉莉，如果只访谈了她的父母，数据可能是二手的，且被他们自己的担忧所扭曲。录制莉莉遇到狗的视频观察将增加宝贵的直接证据。
11. Step 4: Draw Conclusions | 步骤 4：得出结论
A strong conclusion does not just repeat the story. It states what can be reasonably learned from the case and acknowledges the limitations. Could the explanation be applied to other children with dog phobias? Probably, but with caution.
一个好的结论不仅仅是重复故事。它要说明从案例中可以合理地学到什么，并承认其局限性。该解释是否可以应用于其他患有狗恐惧症的儿童？有可能，但需要谨慎。
Suggest what future research could do — for example, studying several similar cases to see if a pattern emerges, or using a controlled experiment to test a therapy. This shows higher‑order thinking.
建议未来的研究可以做什么——例如，研究几个类似的案例看看是否有模式出现，或者使用对照实验来测试某种疗法。这展示了高阶思维能力。
12. Practice Case: Lily’s Phobia | 实战案例：莉莉的恐惧症
Case summary: Lily, aged 10, had always been cheerful and unafraid of dogs. Three months ago, a large dog suddenly ran up to her in the park and barked loudly, inches from her face. Since that day, Lily screams, cries, and refuses to go near any park where dogs might be. Her parents report she has nightmares about dogs and cannot concentrate at school. A psychologist recorded an interview with Lily and observed her from a distance when a calm dog was brought into a room.
案例摘要：莉莉，10岁，一直开朗且不怕狗。三个月前，一条大狗在公园里突然跑到她面前，在离她脸几英寸的地方大声吠叫。从那天起，莉莉尖叫、哭泣，并拒绝靠近任何可能有狗的公园。她的父母报告说她做关于狗的噩梦，在学校无法集中注意力。一位心理学家录制了与莉莉的访谈，并在将一只温顺的狗带入房间时从远处观察了她。
Your task: Using the four‑step framework, write a short analysis of Lily’s case. Try to identify triggers, evaluate the use of interview plus observation, and suggest one thing the psychologist could do to help while also protecting Lily’s well‑being.
你的任务：使用四步框架，撰写一份关于莉莉案例的简短分析。尝试识别触发因素，评估访谈加观察的使用，并提出心理学家可以做的一件事来帮助莉莉，同时保护她的福祉。
Remember to ask: is the explanation based on one shock event enough? Could there be other factors, like hearing scary stories? Give evidence from the description to support your points.
请记住提问：基于单次惊吓事件的解释够吗？是否存在其他因素，比如听过恐怖故事？从描述中找出证据来支持你的观点。
Published by TutorHao | Psychology Revision Series | aleveler.com
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