Final answer:
A nurse assessing a client's personal hygiene habits is engaging in observation. This action is part of data collection and is crucial in providing individualized care. It is different from the case study approach used by Freud, which involved in-depth interviews over time to develop his personality theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nurse is assessing a client to gather more information about the client's personal hygiene habits, the action being described is best identified as: Observation. This process involves the nurse actively watching, listening, and sometimes even smelling to assess the hygiene practices and health status of the individual. In the context of Sigmund Freud's work, Freud developed his theory of human personality through a different, specific research method.
He employed a case study approach, which involves conducting in-depth interviews over a period of time with a few clients to collect detailed information about them. This method contrasts with other research types such as archival research, naturalistic observation, and surveys.