9. ‘Conducting a case study is the best way to find out about obsessive, compulsive and related
disorders.’
To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to
support your answer. [12]
The use of case studies to find out about obsessive, compulsive and related disorder may not be the
best approach, as case studies are in depth studies of one individual. Therefore, the information
gathered by a case study is unique to that individual. Moreover, the sample size is small it only contains
1 individual, it is idiographic and cannot be generalized to all individuals and obsessions/compulsions.
For example, the case study by Ratman by Freud, everyone doesn’t have the same intrusive thoughts as
Ernst did therefore it cannot be applied to all individuals.
A case study uses a wide range of measures to collect data. The experimenter may interview the
individual (y-BOCS), have the individual complete questionnaires such as MOCI that collect information
on overt rituals and obsessions. The individual pre and post symptoms can be monitored if they are
treated using a certain treatment such as CBT. The wide use of measures allows a wide range of data to
be collected hence increases the reliability of the findings. For example, Rachmans study on the
hypervigilant female who had a fear of getting infected by disease, a large variety of data (many
sources of information) is obtained from this study.
The use of a case study to find out about certain obsessive disorders is an advantage as a case study is
an in-depth study of an individual. When collecting data, data about lifestyle factors are collected as well
as data about the obsessive behavior. This is an advantage, as lifestyle factors can be monitored and if
the individual is being treated with biomedical treatment or CBT the cause and effect relationship cold
be easily identified. In most research evidence for treatments of obsessive disorders, the lifestyle factors
are unknown therefore it is unaware of the treatment is really causing the change in symptoms or if it is
a lifestyle factor. However, this is not a problem when it comes to case studies as the cause and effect
relationship can be easily established due to the in-depth study of lifestyle factors and other factors of
one individual.
As case studies are based on a single individual with a unique disorder, in order to find out about a wide
range of obsessive compulsive and related disorders several case studies have to be conducted and
looked into. A case study is usually a longitudinal study, conducting several different case studies on
different individual with different disorders in order to further understand case studies is a very time-
consuming process. Moreover, another disadvantage of longitudinal studies I that there is researcher
bias. Due to the study being a long-term study the experimenter may have developed a relationship
with the individual, this would result in invalid an unreliable finding. This may have been seen in
Ratmans study in which Freud treated him.
Overall, I do not agree with the statement that case studies are the best way to find out about
obsessive, compulsive and other rituals. Despite the case studies having in-depth information of the
individual and clearly defining the cause and effect relationship, case studies do not have a high
generalizability of validity therefore it may not the best way to find out about disorders, especially when
there are several other studies which are more generalizable and valid such as Soomro et al, Taj et al,
Gilbert et al etc.
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disorders.’
To what extent do you agree with this statement? Use examples of research you have studied to
support your answer. [12]
The use of case studies to find out about obsessive, compulsive and related disorder may not be the
best approach, as case studies are in depth studies of one individual. Therefore, the information
gathered by a case study is unique to that individual. Moreover, the sample size is small it only contains
1 individual, it is idiographic and cannot be generalized to all individuals and obsessions/compulsions.
For example, the case study by Ratman by Freud, everyone doesn’t have the same intrusive thoughts as
Ernst did therefore it cannot be applied to all individuals.
A case study uses a wide range of measures to collect data. The experimenter may interview the
individual (y-BOCS), have the individual complete questionnaires such as MOCI that collect information
on overt rituals and obsessions. The individual pre and post symptoms can be monitored if they are
treated using a certain treatment such as CBT. The wide use of measures allows a wide range of data to
be collected hence increases the reliability of the findings. For example, Rachmans study on the
hypervigilant female who had a fear of getting infected by disease, a large variety of data (many
sources of information) is obtained from this study.
The use of a case study to find out about certain obsessive disorders is an advantage as a case study is
an in-depth study of an individual. When collecting data, data about lifestyle factors are collected as well
as data about the obsessive behavior. This is an advantage, as lifestyle factors can be monitored and if
the individual is being treated with biomedical treatment or CBT the cause and effect relationship cold
be easily identified. In most research evidence for treatments of obsessive disorders, the lifestyle factors
are unknown therefore it is unaware of the treatment is really causing the change in symptoms or if it is
a lifestyle factor. However, this is not a problem when it comes to case studies as the cause and effect
relationship can be easily established due to the in-depth study of lifestyle factors and other factors of
one individual.
As case studies are based on a single individual with a unique disorder, in order to find out about a wide
range of obsessive compulsive and related disorders several case studies have to be conducted and
looked into. A case study is usually a longitudinal study, conducting several different case studies on
different individual with different disorders in order to further understand case studies is a very time-
consuming process. Moreover, another disadvantage of longitudinal studies I that there is researcher
bias. Due to the study being a long-term study the experimenter may have developed a relationship
with the individual, this would result in invalid an unreliable finding. This may have been seen in
Ratmans study in which Freud treated him.
Overall, I do not agree with the statement that case studies are the best way to find out about
obsessive, compulsive and other rituals. Despite the case studies having in-depth information of the
individual and clearly defining the cause and effect relationship, case studies do not have a high
generalizability of validity therefore it may not the best way to find out about disorders, especially when
there are several other studies which are more generalizable and valid such as Soomro et al, Taj et al,
Gilbert et al etc.
11/12
