PSYCHOLOGY CASE STUDIES

Psychology Case Studies



Psychology Case Studies

Case Study 1: Social Withdrawal

Core Theme

Cathy Bell is suffering from social withdrawal. Therefore, it is essential to examine the nature of social withdrawal. One of the significant developments in the area of psychology is “The Waterloo Longitudinal Project”. The purpose of its development in 1980 was to investigate causes and outcomes of social withdrawal problems. According to this study, observation of children from kindergarten to elementary schools, their level of interaction and social competence was noted. In addition, the study also investigated into the relationship and social behavior of those children with their peers (Hymel, Rubin, Rowden, & LeMare, 1990; Rubin, Chen, McDougall, Bowker, & McKinnon, 1995). There were various aspects which required evaluations such as loneliness, social competence, confidence, anxiety, and self-esteem. These aspects were evaluated in fourth to fifth, and ninth grades. These aspects or categories were part of anxiety which occurred in social company. In addition, the investigators noted that social withdrawal reflected behavioral issues which resulted from internal feelings of anxiety, lack of confidence on one's social competencies, and insecurity. The study also involved researchers to distinguish between solitude behavior and social isolation. Before this project, solitude behavior and social isolation were considered as substitutes of each other. The researchers also proposed that child isolation is not only due to his withdrawal from the peer group, but it can be the result of rejection by the peer group. Such findings resulted in identifying various aspects and meanings of solitude.

The WLP showed in various reports that social withdrawal was common in children from kindergarten to fifth grade. Furthermore, those children who exhibited constant withdrawal issues faced risk for developing deficits in their social competencies. The research also found that the assessment of social withdrawal among familiar others in middle childhood expected to result in depression, loneliness, and negative peer and self regard. These demonstration of these results occurred in early part of the adolescence (Rubin, Chen, McDougall, Bowker, & McKinnon, 1995). There were significant results which emerged as a result of previous research and findings from the WLP. These findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between social withdrawal and peer rejection through childhood and adolescence (Gazelle & Ladd, 2003; Rubin, Chen, & Hymel, 1993). Similar findings from recent research also indicate that there is an association between social withdrawal and peer exclusion. Such exclusions occur when peers leave a child behind from group activities and interactions (Gazelle & Ladd, 2003; Gazelle & Rudolph, 2004). The researchers also argued that children who experience social withdrawal may also encounter exclusion due to their unusual behavior, opposed to expectations related to age for social involvement. With respect to this, there is an increase in statistical relations between behavior related to withdrawal and rejection with age. These associations and their increasing trend reflect on the significance of associating and getting along with peers, when children transcend into the later phases of childhood and early stages of adolescence (Ladd, ...