4: Types of Long Term Memory

Question 1

who proposed the types of LTM

Answer 1

Tulving (1985)

Question 2

3 types of LTM

Answer 2

episodic
semantic
procedural

Question 3

Description of types of LTM:
introduction

Answer 3

Tulving (1985) one of first to realise that the MSM was too simplistic and though the WMM addressed the MSMs view of STM, it hadn’t addressed its simplistic view of LTM
Tulving proposes 3 types of LTM stores containing quite different types of info, each store being independent and qualitatively different from one another

Question 4

Description of types of LTM:
episodic memory

Answer 4

memory of personal experiences or ‘episodes’ from a specific point in time

sometimes referred to as ‘autobiographical memories’

stored with reference to context and emotion

explicit: have to make a conscious effort to recall. may be able to do this quickly but you are still aware you are searching for the memory

Question 5

Description of types of LTM:
semantic memory

Answer 5

factual knowledge of meaningful info about the world which is shared by everyone

may be concrete (eg facts) or abstract (eg concepts)

context independant

explicit: have to make a conscious effort to recall

Question 6

Description of types of LTM:
procedural

Answer 6

skills, actions, how things are done

known as ‘muscle memory’ - automatic as the result of repeated practice

enables you to focus your attention elsewhere while accessing procedural LTM to perform an every day skill

contect independant

implicit: don’t need to make a conscious effort to recall, cant be easily stated out loud

Question 7

4 ways the types of LTM differ

Answer 7

1. nature
2. time referencing
3. retrieval
4. forgetting

Question 8

how do the types of LTM differ in nature

Answer 8

episodic:
“mental diary” “autobiographical memory”

semantic:
“mental encyclopaedia”

procedural:
“muscle memory”

Question 9

how do the types of LTM differ in time referencing

Answer 9

episodic:
time referenced; input is continuous

semantic:
independent of time referencing; input can be fragmentary

procedural:
independent of time and place referencing (automatic)

Question 10

how do the types of LTM differ in terms of retrieval

Answer 10

episodic:
context dependant (needs cues)

semantic:
may initially be cine y dependant but eventually context independent (doesn’t need cues)

procedural:
context independent (doesn’t need cues)

Question 11

how do the types of LTM differ in terms of forgetting

Answer 11

episodic:
forgotten due to retrieval failure (absence of cues) - memory trace is open to change/transformation

semantic:
memory trace is more robust; less susceptible to change/transformation

procedural:
rarely forgotten (automatic)

Question 12

evaluation of types of LTM: strengths

Answer 12

P: Finke et al (2012) - case of PM
E: cellist - brain damage causing servers amnesia
E: episodic/semantic LTM severely affected but his procedural was in tact (musical abilities)
L: supports diff types of LTM

P: evidence supports view of diff types of LTM
E: clinical evidence from case studies of brain damaged patients showing diff types of LTM
E: Clive Wearing - musician, brain damage to episodic LTM (wedding) but not procedural (piano)
L: supports diff LTM otherwise damage to his LTM would have been equal

P: physiological evidence supports diff types of LTM
E: PET scans show diff areas of brain active when using diff LTM types
E: Tulving et al (1944) episodic and semantic recalled from diff sides of pre-frontal cortex, procedural associated with the cerebellum
L: supports diff types of LTM that may be psychically separate

P: real life applications
E: identifying diff types of LTM: psychologists can target certain kinds of memory
E: Belleville et al (2006) able to develop memory training to improve episodic memory in older people
L: understanding LTM can improve lives

Question 13

evaluation of types of LTM: limitations

Answer 13

P: problems w evidence from brain damaged patients
E: rare, so they might not represent the way memory functions in everyone
E: Clive Wearings LTM may function slightly diff to others’
L: cant be generalised to everyone, low external validity: limits extent which we can draw conclusions from this research alone

P: may ignore 4th type of LTM
E: research identified ‘priming’: implicit memories influence the responses a person makes to stimulus
E: given list of word including yellow, more likely to say banana when asked to name a fruit than if not
L: suggests LTM is more complex than Tulving suggests