Schmolck Flashcards
What is the schmolck study to me?
Contemporary study
What was the aim?
To investigate the effects of specific brain damage on semantic memory using case studies- specifically relationship between semantic test scores, temporal lobe damage and the uniqueness of H.M.
What was the sample?
6 patients with amnesia compared to 8 normal control ppts
-matched on age, sex and education
How were the brain damaged ppts divided?
According to their brain damage:
- MTL- medial temporal lobe
- MTL+- medial temporal lobe and anterolateral temporal cortex damage
what was the method used?
lab experiment over 5 sittings
how many tests were conducted?
13
9 were semantic tests
name 3 tasks they conducted?
naming and describing physical features
pyramid and palms task
filling in gaps
what were the results?
hippocampus damage- able to name, point out and answer questions about objects with considerable accuracy
MTL+ ppts performed less well-difficulty thinking of examples from a category
MTL+ 50% for living objects 62% for non-living objects
HM- 66.7% for living 90% for non-living
what did they conclude?
MTL+ patients had greater difficulty than MTL suggesting that the anterolateral temporal cortex is responsible for semantic knowledge
what experimental design was used?
matched pairs design
EVALUATION-generalisability
+ppts were both male and female
-not representative- small sample, unique individuals making it hard to generalise
EVALUATION-reliability
+lab based- replicable, less extraneous variables
+inter-rater reliability
-lab experiment- lacks mundane realism
EVALUATION-applicability
+ the conclusions found can be applied and investigated in further studies/research
-hard to apply to real-life mundane realism
EVALUATION-validity
+controls make results more valid
-lacks ecological validity
EVALUATION-ethics
- ethical issues with working with vulnerable people
+confidentiality was honoured
