2 - Types Of Long-Term Memory

Question 1

Who proposed that the LTM was made up of 3 stores? When?

Answer 1

Tulving (1985)

Question 2

What did Tulving think about the MSM?

Answer 2

Too simplistic

Question 3

What are the three types of LTM?

Answer 3

• Episodic memory
• Semantic memory
• Procedural memory

Question 4

What is episodic memory?

Answer 4

A LTM store of personal events (episodes) from our lives

Likened to a diary

E.g. memory of a school trip

Question 5

What is an episodic memory made up of?

Answer 5

• Time stamp

- Several elements regarding what happened (people, places, etc)

Question 6

Where is episodic memory located?

Answer 6

Hippocampus

Question 7

What is semantic memory?

Answer 7

A LTM store of our knowledge of the world

Likened to an encyclopaedia/dictionary

E.g. memory of what a word means

Question 8

What is a semantic memory made up of?

Answer 8

• Non-time stamped info
• Less personal
• Ever growing

Question 9

Where is semantic memory located?

Answer 9

Temporal lobe

Question 10

What is procedural memory?

Answer 10

A LTM store of how to complete actions/skills

E.g. memory of how to walk

Question 11

Which LTM memory store contains info that may be hard to explain?

Answer 11

Procedural memory

Question 12

What is a procedural memory made up of?

Answer 12

• Unconscious skills

- May find hard to explain

Question 13

Where is the procedural memory located?

Answer 13

Cerebellum + motor cortex

Question 14

Which LTM stores are consciously/unconsciously recalled?

Answer 14

Consciously recalled: Episodic + Semantic

Unconsciously recalled: Procedural

Question 15

Which type of LTM tends to be taught?

Answer 15

Semantic

Question 16

What type of neuroimaging did Tulving do in 1994 to support his 3-part LTM model?

Answer 16

PET scans

Question 17

Give 3 positive evaluation points for the 3-part LTM model

Answer 17

Research support from case studies

• HM + Clive Wearing
• Support existence of multiple types of long term memory, as one type remained functioning whilst other didn’t

Brain scans (neuroimaging)

• Tulving et al (1994)
• Ppts PET scanned whilst performing different memory tasks
• Different areas of brain active when using different types of LTM
• Episodic = right prefrontal cortex (specifically hippocampus)
• Semantic = left prefrontal cortex (specifically temporal lobe)

Real life applications

• Belleville et al (2006)
• Able to train older people to improve episodic memory
• Successful compared to a control group
• LTM types can be beneficial by application in specific treatments

Question 18

Give 2 negative evaluation points for the 3-part LTM model

Answer 18

Issues with research support from case studies

• One-off case studies may not be generalisable
• Individual differences may confound findings
• May not represent how every LTM functions

Alternative explanation - 2 type LTM

• Cohen + Squire (1980)
• DECLARATIVE MEMORY (consciously recalled memories: episodic + semantic)
• NON-DECLARATIVE MEMORY (unconsciously recalled memories: procedural)