Schmolck Flashcards
(15 cards)
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
