Which statement describes a limitation of case studies?

Which statement describes a limitation of case studies?

• A. It proves causality with high confidence.
• B. It involves large random samples.
• C. Findings may not generalize beyond the studied case.
• D. It yields rapid generalizable results.

Answer: (C)

Case studies provide rich, detailed insight into a single person, group, or situation. The key limitation is that what you observe in that specific case may not apply to others. Because the context, personality, and environment can be highly unique, the patterns you see might be tied to those particular conditions and not generalizable to a broader population. This makes it risky to assume the same outcomes would occur in different people or settings. Additionally, case studies don’t typically establish causality with high confidence because they lack the experimental control and random assignment that help draw cause-and-effect conclusions. They also involve small samples and thorough, time-consuming analysis, so they don’t yield rapid, broadly generalizable results.

Case studies provide rich, detailed insight into a single person, group, or situation. The key limitation is that what you observe in that specific case may not apply to others. Because the context, personality, and environment can be highly unique, the patterns you see might be tied to those particular conditions and not generalizable to a broader population. This makes it risky to assume the same outcomes would occur in different people or settings.

Additionally, case studies don’t typically establish causality with high confidence because they lack the experimental control and random assignment that help draw cause-and-effect conclusions. They also involve small samples and thorough, time-consuming analysis, so they don’t yield rapid, broadly generalizable results.