Severe deprivation means extreme lack of things that people consider essential in life and economic hardship that is persistent, acute and compounded (Desmond, 2015). Some Americans have experienced severe deprivation despite them living in one of the world’s superpower countries. In 2010, 20.5 million Americans were said to live in deep poverty, that is, on income below half the federal poverty threshold. This statistic was up by almost 8 million since 2000 (Desmond, 2015). In the same year, one in every fifty Americans were said to live in an income where they survived on food stamps. These statistics are done by scholars using different methodologies. Two of these methodologies include case studies and group comparisons. Case study methodology occurs when research is based on a particular person, group or situation over a given period. Studies using comparison groups involve repeated observations of the same variables over short or long periods. This research paper will evaluate relevant studies to find out the significant advantages and disadvantages of group comparison studies and case studies by analysing the outcomes of severe early deprivation. The paper will focus on the argument that case studies are more beneficial as compared to comparison group studies. Severe deprivation studies will help us identify factors that contribute to it and how it can be eradicated or managed.
Case Studies Have In-Depth Research
Case studies can give conclusions which are either illustrative or confirmable. Crowe et al. (2011) state that it is suitable when there is a need to get in-depth information on an issue. Koluchova (1972) did a case study on severe deprivation in two monozygotic two boys who had been brought up in social isolation. The study established that thorough research was done since forensic experts were also involved. In the study, residual effects are said to be studies in the next follow-up study to ensure they exhaust information on the unusual case of deprivation. Vital details are given about the particular individuals involved in the study. Skuse (1984) did a case study on two sisters who has suffered both emotional and social deprivation as their mother was mentally ill. Skuse (1984) collects details that would normally not be collected by other research designs. He had to collect detailed history of the 2 sisters in order to get facts and analyse the study. Case studies are said to be detailed as they can last over a long period. During this time, the researcher or scholar gets to learn a lot and observe the study. It is a significant method as compared to comparative group studies.
Comparison group studies summarize different dependent variables across many subjects. Once the standard measure is the arithmetic mean, which is easy to calculate, it evaluates data points more manageable. Nevertheless, scholars forget that group average should not be used to forecast conclusions on the individual behaviour. Group means in comparison studies need to be taken as approximations of the population group mean. Kennedy et al. (2016) examines the level of persistence to deprivation of young people adopted as young children by UK families. The researchers take 165 Romanian adoptees and 52 comparison adoptees. Kennedy et al. (2016) compares age 15 characteristics of those adopted and those that dropped out from the adoption program. Similarly, Skeels and Dye (1939) study included 2 developmentally delayed 18 month old children who were transferred from an orphanage to the women ward in an institution where people with learning difficulties were kept.
Comparative group studies collect data from multiple points while conducting a given type of research. However, they cannot determine beforehand and consider the periods despite the prevailing situation between these points. The process involved in comparison studies makes respondents change how they respond over time to suit what they see as the main objective of the observer. Taylor-Robinson, Smyth, Diggle, " Wjitehead (2013) conducted a longitudinal study on the effects of social media deprivation and illness serenity on the employment status of UK students. The researcher here investigated a broad cohort on employment status. The study took a total of 15,572 minutes of observations during the whole study. They had to use different effect models to show the trends and the effects clearly. Thus, case studies are preferable as compared to comparison group studies.
Case Studies Have a Double Function
Case studies said to have twofold functions; one is that they study in their unit as well as that of a larger group of units. The scholar can make the case study entrenched with several components. The scholar can explore a case and still have the capability to analyse the available data in and between the case analysis, and be able to come up with a cross-case analysis. This grants the researcher the power to check the distinct components in the more significant case. Case studies are determined by the extent of information a particular study has and how much is known. Koluchova (1972) conducted a case study in the 1970s when few scientific studies had been done. The scholar was able to report an unusual case of deprivation. In this case, the researcher chooses to concentrate on one unit, that is, social deprivation of twin boys. When a scholar selects an embedded case study, he can then be able to explore further on the subunits, which are then looked over with more extensive case studies. It is impossible to embed a longitudinal study with smaller units, especially if the sample is large. In a Time Series study, a small number of research units is used through time and measured on different scenarios. This is mostly done on educational research, psychological studies, medicine and econometrics research papers. In contrast, social research uses panel survey where a well-defined set of respondents are surveyed repeatedly. Panel survey uses a large number of research units.
Meaningless Null hypothesis
Researchers conducting group comparison studies gain little or no value when using null hypothesis. This is because it is perpetually false. The null hypothesis is a precise statement about a population. It states that the population means between the groups being compared are the same. This is not possible as even if the independent variable has no profound effect on the dependent variable. In this case, the null hypothesis is almost necessarily false. O'Connor " Rutter (2000) examines the attachment disturbances and disorder on a sample of children adopted in the UK. They compare this group with another sample of non-deprived children within the country. The study does not have a null hypothesis. Having a null hypothesis and rejecting it does not tell the extent of the effect. Reacting the null hypothesis would mean that the differences between the groups would be as a result of chance. Neupane (2014) conducts a case study did a study on the effects of poverty on the future well-being of children. Neupane (2014) asks the right questions instead of putting too much emphasis on rejecting the stated null hypothesis at the expense of querying the right questions. Case studies are better as the relationship between the variables being investigated can be determined as compared to Comparison group studies.
Participants Serve As Their Controls
The independent variable is tested by linking the group means on the dependent variable. The between groups comparison in Taylor-Robinson, Smyth, Diggle, and Wjitehead (2013) study determined that the difference could have happened by chance. In the case studies, group means are not even calculated. However, there are several measures of the dependent variable for every subject before, during and after the intervention. Case studies can conduct a meaningful comparison of the same person or group at different times. In a case such as Koluchova (1972), before and after portraits of the respondents are the same. This is because diverse respondents begin a program at varied stages on the dependent variable. Only calculating the mean can be misleading. The case study involves Czechoslovakian male identical twins who their mother dies after giving birth. Data is collected from each twin and benchmarked against the available measures on the extent of change. This is better and gives a more refined assessment as compared to having comparison group studies. Differences will occur between the subjects and the subjects of change.
Conclusion
Case studies have played a significant role in both behavioural and health sciences. In comparison group studies, analysis of data, conclusions, and inferences are drawn from group level and not as per individual participants. From this evaluation, case studies have more strength over comparison group studies. Some of the benefits include participants serve as their controls, can have a null hypothesis thus conduct hypothesis testing, in-depth information, and double functions. This study will guide scholars to look for suitable ways on which they can make comparison group studies better especially in the health and social sciences segments.
References
Crowe S., Cresswell K., Robertson A., Huby G., Avery A., " Sheikh A. (2011). The case study approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11, 100.
Desmond, M. (2015). Severe deprivation in America: An introduction. RSF.
Koluchova, J. (1972). Severe deprivation in twins: A case study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 13(2), 107-114.
Neupane, B. (2014). Impacts of childhood poverty on children's wellbeing: A critical case study of children in Tanahun, Nepal (Master's thesis).
O'Connor, T.G " Rutter, M. (2000). Attachment disorder behavior following early severe deprivation: Extension and longitudinal follow-up. English and Romanian Adoptees Study Team. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39(6), 703-12.
Sykes, B. L., " Pettit, B. (2015). Severe deprivation and system inclusion among children of incarcerated parents in the United States after the Great Recession. RSF.
Taylor-Robinson, D.C., Smyth, R., Diggle, P.J., " Whitehead, M. (2013). A longitudinal study of the impact of social deprivation and disease severity on employment status in the UK cystic fibrosis population. PLoS One, 8(8).
