Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using case studies to investigate impulse control therapy. You should include a conclusion in your answer.
Marks: Question requires discussion; always plural of each argument, and always requires conclusion.
1 mark for each advantage / disadvantage (however detailed) and related to the question up to 4 max. 2 marks max. for two strengths / weaknesses unrelated to the question. 1 mark for conclusion.
Most likely answer (other appropriate responses to be credited):
Strengths:
· The general principles of the therapy can apply to other people
· A case study gives in-depth detail showing how therapy can work in specific cases.
· If many case studies produce similar results, it is possible to generalise.
Weaknesses:
· No standardised measurement was taken,
· The therapist was the assessor,
· The case study may not generalise to other people with gambling problems or other types of impulse-control problems,
· No objective behavioural assessments were conducted,
· A longer term follow-up is necessary to determine if the impulse-control problems return.
Conclusion: any appropriate conclusion drawn from the discussion that has been presented. 1 mark if appropriate. A conclusion is a ‘decision reached by reasoning’ and so a summary of points already made scores 0 marks