Schmolck (Contemporary study)

• Generalisability - small sample

  • only 3 patients - distorted by anomalies
  • However H.M singled out as an anomaly because of wider brain damage
  • Results might not accurately represent larger population
  • Difficult to draw meaningful conclusions and predictions based on small samples
  • Can be more influenced by other confounding factors
• Reliability - standardised procedures

  • Followed specific protocol that was carefully designed
  • Ensured all participants received same information and understood the tasks they were asked to perform.
  • Used same questionnaires and assessments for all participants which allows comparison and reliable analysis of results
  • Other researchers can follow same methods and obtain similar results contributing to overall validity and credibility of findings
• Validity - lacks ecological validity

  • Taken place in controlled lab setting - different from natural environments where behavior naturally occurs
  • More precise control over experimental conditions
  • Naming and categorising drawings on cards is more like a game or puzzle than memory needed in real life
  • Teng and Squire asked patients to recall neighbourhoods they grew up in