What is the major limitation of case studies in diagnosing psychological disorders?

• A. They often lack generalizability to the broader population.
• B. They provide large sample sizes for statistical analysis.
• C. They eliminate all researcher bias.
• D. They are the fastest method for collecting data.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand what a case study is: a detailed examination of a single individual or small group, often used to explore rare or unique psychological disorders.
2. Recognize that case studies provide in-depth qualitative data but typically involve very few participants, limiting the ability to apply findings broadly.
3. Identify that generalizability refers to the extent to which findings from a study can be applied to the larger population beyond the specific cases studied.
4. Consider the other options: large sample sizes, elimination of researcher bias, and speed of data collection are not characteristics of case studies; in fact, case studies usually have small samples, potential for bias, and can be time-consuming.
5. Conclude that the major limitation of case studies in diagnosing psychological disorders is their lack of generalizability to the broader population.