📚 Year 7 WJEC Psychology: Case Study Practical Exercises | WJEC Year 7 心理学：案例分析实战演练
Case studies bring psychology to life. In Year 7 WJEC Psychology, you will learn to explore real or realistic situations, identify key psychological concepts, and evaluate what the case can tell us about human behaviour. This article takes you through a series of practical exercises designed to sharpen your analytical skills.
案例研究让心理学变得鲜活。在 WJEC Year 7 心理学课程中，你将学习探索真实或逼真的情境，识别关键心理学概念，并评估案例能告诉我们关于人类行为的哪些信息。本文将通过一系列实战演练，帮助你提高分析能力。
1. What Is a Case Study in Psychology? | 什么是心理学案例研究？
A case study is an in‑depth investigation of an individual, a group, or an event. Psychologists use interviews, observations, questionnaires, and records to gather rich, detailed information that helps them understand behaviour in context.
案例研究是对个人、群体或事件的深入调查。心理学家使用访谈、观察、问卷和记录来收集丰富、详细的信息，从而在具体情境中理解行为。
For Year 7 students, case studies are often simplified narratives that let you practise applying theories without having to collect data yourself. You act like a detective, looking for clues about why people think, feel, and act the way they do.
对于 Year 7 学生来说，案例研究通常是简化的叙述，让你练习应用理论，而无需自己收集数据。你就像一名侦探，寻找关于人们为何如此思考、感受和行动的线索。
2. Why Are Case Studies Important? | 案例分析为什么重要？
Case studies give us a window into lives that would be impossible to recreate in a laboratory. They can generate new hypotheses, challenge existing theories, and provide memorable examples that anchor abstract ideas.
案例研究为我们打开一扇窗，让我们看到在实验室里无法重现的真实生活。它们可以产生新的假设，挑战现有理论，并提供令人难忘的例子，让抽象概念变得具体。
In the WJEC course, understanding how to analyse a case study helps you build skills in critical thinking, application of knowledge, and evaluation – all essential for later stages of psychology.
在 WJEC 课程中，理解如何分析案例研究有助于培养批判性思维、知识应用和评估能力——这些都是后续心理学学习的关键技能。
3. A Step‑by‑Step Guide to Analysing a Case Study | 案例分析分步指南
Follow these five steps whenever you are given a case study to work on.
每当你拿到一个案例研究时，请遵循以下五个步骤。
Step 1: Read the case twice. First to get the big picture, second to highlight anything that seems psychologically interesting – a change in emotion, a decision made under pressure, a forgotten event.
第一步：阅读案例两遍。第一遍了解大意，第二遍标出任何让你觉得有心理学趣味的细节——情绪变化、压力下做出的决定、遗忘的事件。
Step 2: Identify the key people and their behaviour. What did they do? How did they feel? What were the consequences?
第二步：找出关键人物及其行为。他们做了什么？感受如何？结果是什么？
Step 3: Link the behaviour to psychological concepts. Could it be explained by memory processes, social influence, attachment styles, or something else you have studied?
第三步：将行为与心理学概念联系起来。能否用记忆过程、社会影响、依恋类型或你学过的其他内容来解释？
Step 4: Ask critical questions. Is there enough evidence? What alternative explanations might exist? Are there ethical concerns?
第四步：提出批判性问题。证据充分吗？是否存在其他解释？有没有伦理问题？
Step 5: Write a short conclusion that summarises what the case tells us about psychology and what its limitations are.
第五步：写一段简短结论，总结该案例告诉我们什么心理学知识，以及它的局限性。
4. Case Study 1: The Distracted Student | 案例一：分心的学生
Alex is 11 years old and struggles to remember homework instructions. Every evening he sits at his desk with his tablet playing music videos and his phone buzzing with notifications. His mother notices that when she asks him to repeat what the teacher said, Alex often misses key details. One week, the family agrees on a ‘quiet hour’ with no screens. Alex’s recall of instructions improves noticeably.
亚历克斯 11 岁，总是记不住家庭作业要求。每天晚上他坐在书桌前，平板电脑播放着音乐视频，手机也不断弹出消息通知。他的妈妈注意到，当她让他复述老师的话时，亚历克斯经常遗漏关键细节。有一周，家人约定“安静一小时”，不使用任何屏幕。亚历克斯对要求的记忆明显改善。
This simple case contains several psychological ideas waiting to be uncovered.
这个简单的案例包含多个有待发掘的心理学概念。
5. Applying Concepts to Case Study 1 | 应用概念分析案例一
The main concept here is attention and how it affects memory. Psychologists distinguish between focused attention (concentrating on one thing) and divided attention (trying to do several things at once). Alex’s screen‑filled environment creates divided attention, which weakens the encoding of information into his memory.
这里的主要概念是注意力及其对记忆的影响。心理学家区分了集中注意（专注于一件事）和分散注意（同时做几件事）。亚历克斯充满屏幕的环境造成了分散注意，从而削弱了信息编码进入记忆的过程。
We can link this to the multi‑store model of memory: if information is not properly attended to, it may never move from the sensory register to short‑term memory. The ‘quiet hour’ removed distractions, allowing Alex to pay full attention and encode instructions successfully.
我们可以将此与记忆的多重储存模型联系起来：如果信息没有得到适当的注意，它可能永远无法从感觉登记进入短时记忆。“安静一小时”消除了干扰，让亚历克斯能够全神贯注，成功将指令编码。
You might also spot a practical application: changing the environment (the independent variable) led to a change in recall (the dependent variable). This mirrors an experiment, even though it happened naturally at home.
你还可以发现一个实际应用：改变环境（自变量）导致了回忆表现（因变量）的改变。这类似于一个实验，尽管它是在家中自然发生的。
6. Case Study 2: The Playground Decision | 案例二：操场上的决定
Mia and her three friends are playing football during break. One friend, Jay, suggests sneaking into the school garden to take some strawberries. Mia knows this is against the rules and feels uncomfortable, but she sees the other two friends nodding eagerly. After a few seconds of hesitation, Mia agrees and follows them. Later, she tells her older sister she only did it because ‘everyone else wanted to’.
米娅和三个朋友在课间踢足球。一个朋友杰提议溜进学校花园偷摘草莓。米娅知道这是违规的，感到不安，但她看到另外两个朋友热切地点头。犹豫了几秒后，米娅同意了并跟着他们。后来，她告诉姐姐，她之所以这样做只是因为“其他人都想去”。
This scenario is perfect for exploring social influence.
这个情境非常适合探讨社会影响。
7. Analysing Social Influence in Case Study 2 | 分析案例二中的社会影响
The key concept here is conformity – a change in a person’s behaviour or belief due to real or imagined group pressure. Mia experienced normative social influence: she conformed to be liked and accepted by her friends, even though her private judgement told her it was wrong.
这里的关键概念是从众——由于真实或想象的群体压力而导致个人行为或信念的改变。米娅经历了规范性社会影响：她为了被朋友喜欢和接纳而从众，尽管她内心判断这是错误的。
We might also connect this to Asch’s conformity studies, where many participants gave an obviously wrong answer simply because everyone else in the room did. Mia, like Asch’s participants, faced a conflict between her own perception and the group’s decision.
我们也可以将此与阿希的从众研究联系起来，在该研究中，许多参与者仅仅因为房间里其他人都给出了错误答案，就也跟着给出了明显错误的答案。米娅就像阿希实验中的参与者一样，面临着自我感知与群体决定之间的冲突。
As a critical thinker, you could ask: Would Mia have made the same choice if one other friend had also said ‘no’? Research shows that having even a single ally dramatically reduces conformity. This shows the power of social support.
作为批判性思考者，你可以问：如果当时也有另一个朋友说“不”，米娅还会做出同样的选择吗？研究表明，即使只有一个同盟者，也能显著降低从众行为。这显示了社会支持的力量。
8. Case Study 3: The New Baby and Anxious Toby | 案例三：新生儿与焦虑的托比
Toby is 18 months old. Until recently he was a happy toddler who played contentedly while his father was in the room. Ever since his baby sister was born two months ago, Toby has become clingy. When his father leaves the room, Toby cries intensely and cannot be comforted by his grandmother. When his father returns, Toby first reaches out for a cuddle but then pushes him away and arches his back.
托比 18 个月大。以前，只要爸爸在房间里，他就是一个玩耍自得的快乐宝宝。自从两个月前妹妹出生后，托比变得非常粘人。当爸爸离开房间时，托比哭得非常厉害，奶奶也无法安慰他。当爸爸回来时，托比先是伸手要抱抱，但随后又推爸爸，拱起后背。
This case invites an attachment perspective.
这个案例可以从依恋的角度来观察。
9. Linking Attachment Theory to Case Study 3 | 依恋理论与案例三的联系
Psychologists use the Strange Situation procedure to assess attachment types. Toby’s behaviour – high distress on separation, difficulty being comforted by a stranger, and mixed reactions on reunion – resembles an insecure‑resistant (also called ambivalent) attachment pattern.
心理学家使用陌生情境程序来评估依恋类型。托比的行为——分离时极度痛苦、难以被陌生人安慰、重逢时又表现出矛盾反应——类似于不安全-抗拒型（也称矛盾型）依恋模式。
The arrival of a new sibling is a major life change that can temporarily disrupt a toddler’s sense of security. Toby may be unsure whether his father still provides a secure base. His push‑and‑pull behaviour suggests he wants comfort but is also angry or anxious.
新生儿的到来是重大的人生变化，可能会暂时破坏幼儿的安全感。托比可能不确定爸爸是否仍然提供安全基地。他推拉交织的行为表明他渴望安慰，但又感到愤怒或焦虑。
Applied to the WJEC course, this case helps you practise identifying attachment behaviours such as separation anxiety, stranger anxiety, and reunion behaviour. It also reminds us to consider situational factors – the new baby – before jumping to permanent labels.
应用于 WJEC 课程，这个案例帮助你练习识别依恋行为，如分离焦虑、陌生人焦虑和重聚行为。它也提醒我们在轻易下永久性结论之前，要考虑情境因素——新生儿的到来。
10. Identifying Variables in Case Studies | 识别案例中的变量
Even when a case study is not a formal experiment, you can often identify variables that help you think like a researcher. A variable is anything that can change or vary.
即使案例研究不是正式实验，你通常也能识别出变量，这有助于你像研究者一样思考。变量是指任何可以改变或变化的东西。
The independent variable (IV) is the factor that is changed or differs naturally. In Case Study 1, the IV was the presence or absence of screens and distractions. In Case Study 3, the IV could be considered the arrival of the new sibling.
自变量（IV）是被改变或自然变化的因素。在案例一中，自变量是屏幕和干扰的存在与否。在案例三中，自变量可以看作是新生儿的到来。
The dependent variable (DV) is what is measured or the outcome that changes as a result. In Case Study 1, the DV was Alex’s recall of instructions. In Case Study 2, the DV was Mia’s decision to conform.
因变量（DV）是被测量的内容或由此产生的结果变化。在案例一中，因变量是亚历克斯对指令的回忆情况。在案例二中，因变量是米娅的从众决定。
Extraneous variables are other factors that might have influenced the outcome, such as Toby’s hunger or tiredness on the day he was observed. Spotting potential extraneous variables shows strong evaluation skill.
额外变量是指可能影响结果的其他因素，比如托比在观察那天的饥饿或疲劳程度。发现潜在的额外变量展示了强大的评估能力。
11. Ethical Considerations in Case Studies | 案例研究中的伦理考量
All psychological research, including case studies, must respect ethical guidelines. Even when you analyse a made‑up scenario, you should ask: Would this be an ethical way to study a real person?
包括案例研究在内的所有心理学研究，都必须遵守伦理准则。即使你分析的是虚构情境，也应该问：这会是研究真实人物的合乎伦理的方式吗？
The British Psychological Society sets principles such as informed consent (getting permission), right to withdraw (allowing people to stop at any time), confidentiality (keeping details private), and protection from harm (both physical and psychological).
英国心理学会规定了以下原则：知情同意（获得许可）、退出权利（允许参与者随时停止）、保密（保护个人信息）和避免伤害（包括身体和心理伤害）。
In the playground case, if a researcher had secretly filmed the children without their parents’ consent, that would breach confidentiality and informed consent. In Toby’s case, causing deliberate separation distress simply for a study would need careful justification and support.
在操场案例中，如果研究者在未经家长同意的情况下秘密拍摄儿童，就违反了保密性和知情同意。在托比的案例中，仅为了研究而故意引发分离痛苦，就需要仔细的理由说明和支持措施。
Always include a sentence about ethics in your case study answers – it demonstrates a mature understanding of psychology’s responsibilities.
在你的案例分析回答中，务必加入一句关于伦理的表述——这体现你对心理学责任的成熟理解。
12. Practical Tips for Your Own Case Study Analysis | 进行分析的实用技巧
Before you write your answer, annotate the case text. Underline behaviours, circle any emotions mentioned, and scribble the psychological terms that come to mind in the margin.
在动笔回答之前，先注解案例文本。划出行为，圈出提到的任何情绪，在页边空白处草草写下你想到的心理学专业术语。
Use sentence starters to structure your paragraphs. For example: ‘This behaviour can be explained by…’, ‘One strength of this case study is…’, ‘However, a limitation is…’, ‘Ethically, the researcher should…’
使用句式开头，让你的段落结构清晰。例如：“这一行为可以用……来解释”，“该案例研究的一个优点是……”，“然而，一个局限性是……”，“在伦理上，研究者应该……”。
Remember that a good analysis goes beyond describing what happened. It explains why, using psychological theories, and evaluates how confident we can be in that explanation. Always weigh up strengths and weaknesses.
请记住，好的分析不仅仅是描述发生了什么。它要用心理学理论解释为什么，并评估我们对这种解释有多大的信心。一定要权衡优缺点。
Finally, practise with everyday situations. When you notice a friend copying others’ fashion choices, or a family member forgetting a shopping list while multitasking, turn it into a mini case study in your head. The more you practise, the more natural psychological thinking becomes.
最后，用日常情境进行练习。当你发现朋友模仿别人的穿着选择，或者家人因为一心多用而忘记购物清单时，就在脑海中把它变成一个迷你案例研究。你练习得越多，心理学思维就越自然。
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