Contemporary Study : Schmolck et al 2002

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

• To look at the relationship between semantic knowledge tests and the extent of lateral temporal lobe damage

Question 2

Participants

Answer 2

• The researchers looked at the semantic knowledge performance of 6 participants who had varying degrees of brain damage (5 males, and 1 female). These brains patients were compared against healthy controls

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

• Participants were put through a series of tests
  Pointing tasks
  Category sorting task
  Nouns and verbs test
• 9 tests in total and all of them measured semantic memory

Question 4

Results

Answer 4

• EP, GP, and GT are the MTL+ groups
• Higher the ranking the worse their overall semantic knowledge score
• Worst rank was GT and the best was HF

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

• The study concludes that semantic memory issues were associated with level of damage in the anterolateral temporal cortex

Question 6

Strengths of Schmolck study

Answer 6

Strength :
- Internal validity is high in this study
- This study combines the two methods through the MRI we can look at the extent of the brain damage. They compare the performance of individuals in the battery of semantic knowledge tests
- The brain damage could be compared with the effect which is the issue with semantic knowledge

Question 7

Weakness of Schmolck study

Answer 7

Weakness :
- Population validity is low in this study
- A low number of participants in this study (6) which can lead to problems with generalisability. As we cannot assume that the brain-damaged participants had comparable semantic knowledge functioning before their injuries
- Therefore the results found about semantic knowledge and the MTL might be due to those differences and the finding can’t be generalised to the rest of us