📚 Case Study Practical Exercises | 案例分析实战演练
Psychology isn’t just about theories—it’s about learning to think like a scientist. In this article, we’ll work through realistic case studies where you can apply your knowledge of research methods and ethics. Get ready to become a psychological detective, exploring how we can study human behaviour in fair, safe, and creative ways.
心理学不仅仅是理论——它更在于学会像科学家一样思考。在这篇文章中，我们将通过贴近现实的案例研究，让你能够应用研究方法和伦理知识。准备好成为一名心理侦探，探索如何以公平、安全和具有创意的方式研究人类行为。
Each case study in this article will present a research idea. Your task is to become the psychologist and decide how to investigate it. You’ll be asked to identify variables, choose methods, write hypotheses, and consider ethical dilemmas.
本文中的每个案例研究都会提出一个研究想法。你的任务是扮演心理学家，决定如何展开调查。你需要识别变量、选择研究方法、撰写假设并考量伦理困境。
1. Introduction to Case Studies in Psychology | 心理学案例研究简介
Case studies are in-depth investigations of a single person, group, or event. In Year 8 psychology, you start by examining real-life scenarios to understand how psychologists plan research, collect data, and follow ethical rules. By practising with case studies, you develop critical thinking skills needed for GCSE and beyond.
案例研究是针对单一个人、群体或事件的深入调查。在8年级心理学中，你首先会分析现实生活中的情景，以理解心理学家如何规划研究、收集数据并遵守伦理准则。通过案例研究练习，你将培养GCSE及更高阶段所需的关键思维能力。
A good case study doesn’t just describe—it challenges you to think about ‘how’ and ‘why’. You must always link back to psychological concepts and consider practical limitations, like time and resources.
一个好的案例研究不止于描述——它还要求你思考“如何”和“为什么”。你必须始终联系心理学概念，并考虑到现实局限性，比如时间和资源。
2. Case Study 1: Screen Time and Sleep | 案例1：屏幕时间与睡眠
A school teacher notices that students who spend a lot of time on their phones before bed often appear tired in class. She wonders if screen time affects sleep quality. Your role is to design a psychological study to test this idea.
一位学校老师注意到，睡前花大量时间玩手机的学生在课堂上常常表现出疲惫。她想知道屏幕时间是否会影响睡眠质量。你的任务是设计一项心理学研究来验证这个想法。
First, think about the two main variables: the independent variable (IV) is what you change or manipulate—here it could be the amount of screen time before bed (e.g., 30 minutes vs. no screen time). The dependent variable (DV) is what you measure—for example, sleep quality rated on a scale from 1 to 10.
首先，思考两个主要变量：自变量 (IV) 是你改变或操控的因素——在这里可以指睡前屏幕时间的长短（例如30分钟对比不使用屏幕）。因变量 (DV) 是你测量的结果——例如，用1到10的量表评定睡眠质量。
You need to define these variables in measurable terms. This is called operationalisation. For screen time, you could use a timer app; for sleep quality, you could use a simple self-report diary or a fitness tracker.
你需要用可测量的术语来定义这些变量，这叫做操作化。对于屏幕时间，你可以使用计时器应用；对于睡眠质量，你可以使用简易的自我记录日记或健身追踪器。
3. Identifying Variables | 识别变量
Variables are the building blocks of any experiment. The independent variable (IV) is the factor you manipulate. The dependent variable (DV) is the outcome you observe. In a study on screen time and sleep, the IV is the amount of screen time, and the DV is sleep quality.
变量是任何实验的基石。自变量 (IV) 是你操控的因素，因变量 (DV) 是你观察的结果。在屏幕时间与睡眠的研究中，自变量是屏幕时间的长短，因变量是睡眠质量。
It’s also important to control other variables that could affect the results—these are called confounding variables. For example, caffeine intake or exercise could influence sleep, so you must keep these constant or measure them to rule out their effects.
同样重要的是控制其他可能影响结果的变量——这些叫做混淆变量。例如，咖啡因摄入或运动都可能影响睡眠，因此你必须让这些因素保持不变，或者进行测量以排除它们的影响。
Practice: In the screen time study, suggest at least one confounding variable and how you would control it.
练习：在该屏幕时间研究中，请提出至少一个混淆变量，并说明你将如何控制它。
4. Choosing a Research Method | 选择研究方法
Psychologists use various methods: experiments, observations, questionnaires, interviews, and case studies. For the screen time question, a laboratory experiment might not be practical. Instead, you could use a field experiment or a quasi-experiment where you compare existing groups (e.g., students who already use screens before bed vs. those who don’t).
心理学家使用多种方法：实验、观察、问卷、访谈和案例研究。针对屏幕时间问题，实验室实验可能不太实际。你可以采用现场实验或准实验，比较已经存在的不同群组（例如，已经习惯睡前使用屏幕的学生与不使用的学生）。
If you use a questionnaire, you could ask students to report their average screen time and rate their sleepiness. However, self-report data can be unreliable because people may forget or exaggerate. Always note the strengths and weaknesses of your chosen method.
如果使用问卷，你可以要求学生报告平均屏幕时间并给嗜睡程度评分。但自我报告数据可能不可靠，因为人们可能会遗忘或夸大。永远要注明所选方法的优点和缺点。
Task: For the screen time study, choose a method and write one paragraph explaining why you picked it.
任务：针对屏幕时间研究，选择一种方法并写一段话解释你为什么这样选择。
5. Writing a Hypothesis | 撰写假设
A hypothesis is a clear, testable prediction about what you expect to find. It must state the IV and DV. A good hypothesis: “Students who use screens for more than 30 minutes before bed will report significantly lower sleep quality than those who use no screens.” This is a directional hypothesis because it predicts a specific outcome.
假设是对预期结果的一种清晰、可检验的预测，必须包含自变量和因变量。一个良好的假设：“睡前使用屏幕超过30分钟的学生，其报告的睡眠质量将显著低于不使用的学生。”这是一个定向假设，因为它预测了特定结果。
You can also write a non-directional hypothesis: “There will be a difference in sleep quality between students who use screens before bed and those who do not.” It doesn’t predict which group will score higher.
你也可以写下非定向假设：“睡前使用屏幕的学生与不使用的学生在睡眠质量上存在差异。”它不预测哪一组得分更高。
Practice: Using the screen time case study, write both a directional and a non-directional hypothesis.
练习：运用屏幕时间案例，写一个定向假设和一个非定向假设。
6. Ethical Guidelines in Action | 伦理准则实践
Ethics are crucial in psychology. The British Psychological Society (BPS) sets guidelines: informed consent, right to withdraw, confidentiality, protection from harm, and avoidance of deception unless necessary. In any study, you must apply these principles.
伦理在心理学中至关重要。英国心理学会 (BPS) 制定了准则：知情同意、退出权、保密性、避免伤害，以及除非必要不得欺骗。在任何研究中，都必须应用这些原则。
For the screen time study, you would need consent from both students and their parents. You must explain that they can stop at any time without penalty. Their sleep logs should be kept anonymous. If you use a control group with no screens, be careful not to cause stress or discomfort.
对于屏幕时间研究，你需要获得学生及其家长的同意。必须说明他们可以在任何时候退出而不会受到惩罚。他们的睡眠日志应保持匿名。如果使用一个不使用屏幕的对照组，注意不要造成压力或不适。
Think: Is it ethical to ask teenagers to completely avoid screens before bed for a week? How could you make this more comfortable? Considering these questions shows ethical awareness.
思考：要求青少年完全避免睡前使用屏幕一周，这合乎伦理吗？你如何能让这更舒适？思考这些问题体现了伦理意识。
7. Case Study 2: Memory and Music | 案例2：记忆与音乐
A student claims that listening to music while revising helps her remember facts better. You decide to test this with an experiment. This case study explores memory—a key topic in WJEC psychology.
一名学生声称，在复习时听音乐有助于她更好地记住知识点。你决定通过实验来检验。这个案例研究探讨记忆——这是WJEC心理学中的一个关键主题。
You could design a laboratory experiment using a list of 20 words. The IV is whether participants listen to music (experimental group) or revise in silence (control group). The DV is the number of words correctly recalled after 10 minutes.
你可以设计一个实验室实验，使用一组20个词的列表。自变量是参与者是否听音乐（实验组）或安静复习（对照组）。因变量是10分钟后正确回忆的单词数量。
Operationalise the IV: use the same playlist and volume for all music participants. Use standardised word lists of similar difficulty. This keeps the study fair and replicable.
将自变量操作化：所有音乐组参与者使用相同的播放列表和音量。使用难度相似的标准化词表。这使研究公平且可重复。
8. Designing an Observation | 设计观察
Sometimes experiments aren’t possible, so psychologists use observations. Imagine you are studying memory and music in a natural classroom setting. You could observe how many times students look away from their revision notes when music is playing vs. silence. This is naturalistic observation.
有时实验不可行，心理学家便使用观察法。想象你在自然教室环境中研究记忆与音乐。你可以观察学生在播放音乐时比在安静时多少次从复习笔记上走神。这便是自然观察。
You would need to create behavioural categories—clear, specific actions to record, such as “looks at phone,” “talks to friend,” or “closes eyes.” Categories
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