What research
design should I use if I want to understand and treat
the behavior of one person?
• Single-case research design
In observational/correlational, experimental,
and quasi-experimental designs, researchers focus on groups
of participants. Psychologists use these designs to identify
"general laws" of behavior and describe how
people behave and think on average. As the name
implies, the researcher who uses a single-case design
focuses on a particular individual. These designs are
most frequently used in clinical psychology, in which
the psychologist wishes to describe, predict, understand,
and treat the problems faced by a client.
How do I conduct
a single-case research design?
Can I make
a claim that a treatment causes a client to improve?