Final answer:
The characteristic of an in-depth examination of one individual or group, like a case study, is its inability to generalize findings to the larger population despite offering valuable insights.
Step-by-step explanation:
Characteristic of an in-depth examination of one individual or group is most effectively captured through case studies. Case studies are widely used in psychology and the social sciences to gain precious amounts of insight into unique cases. A key characteristic of such studies involves the major limitation which is the inability to generalize the findings from this approach to the larger population. Despite providing enriched detail and depth, case studies focus on specific individuals or events, which makes the results not generally applicable to a broader context.