Tulving’s gold memory study

• What was the aim of this study?

  Investigate if episodic memories produce different blood flow patterns to semantic ones.
• What is the method of this study?

  Six ppts injected with radioactive gold.

  Repeated measures used with four episodic and four memory trials.

  Monitored blood flow using PET scan.
• What were the results of this study?

  Different blood flow in three out of six ppts.

  Semantic memories in posterior cortex, i.e. parietal and occipital lobes.

  Episodic memories in anterior cortex, i.e. frontal and temporal lobes.
• What was the conclusion of this study?

  Episodic and semantic memories locslides.

  Memory has a biological basis.
• What is a negative evaluation of this study?

  Problems with the sample.

  The six ppts included Tulving, and conclusion is based on just half of the sample.
• What is a positive evaluation of this study?

  Objective evidence.

  Evidence from brain scans is difficult to fake, producing unbiased results and evidence.