The Multi-Store Model of Memory Research (OCR GCSE Psychology): Revision Note

Memory core study: Wilson et al. (2008): neurological damage

Background

• Amnesia syndrome involves memory loss caused by brain injury, illness, or psychological trauma

  • This can include forgetting personal details such as age, identity, or relationships

  • It can also result in distorted memories, where past events are recalled inaccurately

• According to Kopelman (2002), most people with amnesia know who they are

  • Severe neurological damage can cause people to forget everything about themselves, but this is extremely rare

• Wilson, Kopelman & Kapur (2008) investigated a rare case — Clive Wearing (CW) — who suffered both anterograde and retrograde amnesia following a viral brain infection

  • CW, a talented musician, lost the ability to form new memories and to recall most of his past, though his musical abilities remained intact

Aim

• To investigate the effects of severe anterograde and retrograde amnesia on memory, consciousness, and sense of self, through neuropsychological assessments and brain imaging

Method

• Type of study:

  • Longitudinal single case study over 21 years

• Design:

  • A combination of qualitative (observations, interviews) and quantitative (neuropsychological test scores, MRI scans) data

• Sample:

  • Clive Wearing (CW), who was a renowned musician and conductor of the London Sinfonietta

    • He contracted herpes simplex viral encephalitis in 1985, causing severe brain damage

• Materials and measures:

  • Neuropsychological tests: IQ tests, verbal fluency, digit span tasks

  • MRI scans: Used to locate and monitor brain damage over time

Procedure

1. Neuropsychological testing (1985–2006):

   • CW underwent repeated assessments of memory, cognition, and IQ over 21 years

   • His short-term memory (STM) was tested alongside long-term recall of facts and events

   • MRI scans were used periodically to examine the extent and progression of brain damage

2. Observations:

   • Researchers and CW’s wife reported his repetitive behaviour, such as writing “I am now completely awake” in his diary, believing he had just regained consciousness

   • Despite this, he retained awareness of his identity, musical background, and marriage

3. MRI findings:

   • Scans revealed significant and lasting damage to the hippocampal formations, temporal cortices, and surrounding brain areas linked to memory

   • Damage was greater on the left side, possibly explaining his auditory hallucinations (he believed he could hear his own music)

   • Little to no improvement was observed over the two decades of follow-up

Results

• Memory performance:

  • Anterograde amnesia: CW was unable to form new long-term memories

  • Retrograde amnesia: CW was unable to recall most information from before his illness, including knowledge of famous people and personal events

  • Procedural memory: Was intact as CW could still read, write, play piano, and conduct music

  • Semantic memory: Was partially preserved — CW could understand words and concepts, but not recall learning them

  • Episodic memory: Severely damaged — CW could not recall specific personal experiences

• Cognitive function:

  • IQ and verbal reasoning were within the normal range but below his pre-illness ability (he had been exceptionally gifted)

• Psychological state:

  • CW lacked autobiographical self-awareness, believing he was constantly “waking up” for the first time

  • Experienced auditory hallucinations and occasional delusions about his consciousness

Conclusions

• Viral brain infection can cause severe and lasting neurological damage, resulting in both anterograde and retrograde amnesia

• Findings support the multi-store model of memory, showing distinct STM and LTM stores

• CW’s intact procedural memory suggests that different types of memory (episodic, semantic, and procedural) are stored in separate brain areas

• Damage to the hippocampus and temporal lobes prevents new memory formation, while the frontal lobe is linked to self-awareness and consciousness

• His disrupted “autobiographical self” supports Damasio’s theory of consciousness—memory and identity are deeply interconnected

Criticisms

• Ethical concerns:

  • CW was studied repeatedly over 21 years, which may have caused distress and fatigue

  • Given his cognitive impairments, informed consent was questionable

  • The tests did not directly benefit him; they were purely for research purposes

• Lack of generalisability:

  • Findings are based on one individual with exceptional brain damage

  • It cannot be assumed that all amnesia cases would present the same symptoms or brain patterns

• Limited validity:

  • Damage was so extensive that it is difficult to pinpoint which brain areas caused specific memory impairments