Freud's use of the case study

Case studies in general

• Detailed, mostly qualitative data from several sources (interviews, observation, diaries, records).
• Often longitudinal, following the person over time.
• Useful for rare or unusual cases that could not be created experimentally.

Strengths: rich, in-depth data; can study unusual behaviour; can generate new theories.

Weaknesses: one case may not generalise; interpretation can be subjective; hard to replicate; the researcher may become too involved.

How Freud gathered data

Freud used therapy sessions with patients: free association, dream analysis, observation of slips of the tongue and transference, and his own notes written after sessions. He interpreted the data in terms of unconscious processes.

Little Hans (1909): a boy (studied from about age 3 to 5) with a fear of horses. Most data were collected by his father, a supporter of Freud, who observed and talked with Hans and sent reports by letter. Freud met Hans only once. Freud interpreted the horse fear as a displaced fear of the father, linked to the Oedipus complex.

Evaluation of Freud's case study method

• Subjectivity: Freud interpreted data to fit his theory; notes were written after sessions, so may be incomplete or biased.
• Bias in Little Hans: the father already believed Freud's theory and may have asked leading questions.
• Generalisability: very small, unrepresentative samples (often middle-class Viennese patients; one boy in Little Hans).
• Alternative explanations: Hans saw a horse collapse in the street, so classical conditioning could explain the fear.
• Strength: very detailed data over time that led to an influential theory and therapy.
• Ethics: Hans could not consent himself, and private details were published.

Worked example

Explain why the data in the Little Hans case study may lack objectivity.

1. The data were collected by Hans's father, a supporter of Freud.
2. He may have asked leading questions and recorded what fitted the theory.
3. Freud then interpreted the reports through his own theory, adding further subjectivity.

Answer: The collector and the interpreter both expected Oedipal themes, so bias is likely.

Check yourself

1. A case study is
   • a large-scale questionnaire
   • an experiment with random allocation
   • a count of categories in the media
   • an in-depth study of one person or a small group
   Show answer

   an in-depth study of one person or a small group. Depth on a single case.

2. Who collected most of the data in the Little Hans case?
   • Freud himself in daily sessions
   • Hans's father
   • Hans's teacher
   • A team of observers
   Show answer

   Hans's father. His father sent observations to Freud by letter.

3. What was Little Hans afraid of?
   • Dogs
   • Rats
   • Flying
   • Horses
   Show answer

   Horses. His phobia was of horses.

4. Which alternative explanation of Hans's fear comes from learning theory?
   • He saw a horse collapse, so fear could be classically conditioned
   • He identified with his mother
   • He was fixated at the oral stage
   • He had a low-activity MAOA gene
   Show answer

   He saw a horse collapse, so fear could be classically conditioned. A frightening event paired with horses.

5. Why are Freud's case studies hard to generalise?
   • They used thousands of participants
   • They used only animals
   • They are based on a few unrepresentative individuals
   • They were laboratory experiments
   Show answer

   They are based on a few unrepresentative individuals. Small, unusual samples.

6. Explain one strength of Freud's case study method.
   Show answer

   It produced very detailed, in-depth qualitative data about each patient over a long time, which allowed Freud to develop new theories that could not have come from experiments.. Depth and theory building.

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Sources

• Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Subsidiary/Advanced Level in Psychology specification, Issue 5 (February 2021)
• Pearson IAL Psychology component guide: WPS02 (Issue 2, November 2024)
• Edexcel iA Level Psychology revision site: Case studies, Freud
• Simply Psychology: Freud's psychosexual stages

Last updated 8 November 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.