Chapter 2.3 - Types of long-term memory

Question 1

What are the three types of long-term memory?

Answer 1

1. Episodic memory
2. Semantic memory
3. Procedural memory

Question 2

What is episodic memory?

Answer 2

A long-term memory store for personal event
- Includes memories of when the events occurred and of the people, objects, places, and behaviours involved
- Memories from this store have to be retrieved consciously and with effort

Question 3

What is semantic memory?

Answer 3

A long-term memory store for our knowledge of the world
- Includes facts and our knowledge of what words and concepts mean
- Memories usually need to be recalled deliberately

Question 4

What is procedural memory?

Answer 4

A long-term memory store for our knowledge of how to do this
- Includes our memories of learned skills
- Memories are usually recalled without making a conscious or deliberate effort

Question 5

What is a strength of the types of LTM stores? (clinical evidence)

Answer 5

• HM and Clive Wearing
• Severely impaired episodic memory in both men due to brain damage(operation and infection)
• Semantic and procedural memories were intact
• Supports the view that there are different memory stores in LTM, one can be damages but the others are unaffected

Question 6

What is a counterpoint for clinical evidence?

Answer 6

• Clinical studies lack control of variables, limits what they say about LTM
• The brain injuries were usually unexpected
• No control of what happened before or during the injury
• No knowledge of the individual’s memory before the damage
  -> difficult to judge the worsening

Question 7

What is a limitation of the types of LTM stores? (conflicting neuroimaging evidence)

Answer 7

• Semantic memory is located in the left side of the prefrontal cortex and episodic memory on the right
• Other research says the left prefrontal cortex encodes episodic memories and the right retrieves them
• Challenges any neurophysiological evidence to support types of memory

Question 8

What is a strength of the types of LTM? (real-world application)

Answer 8

• Allows psychologists to help people with memory problems
• Intervention to improve episodic memories in older people, trained participants performed better on a test of episodic memory after training than a control group
• Distinguishing between types of LTM enables specific treatments to be developed

Question 9

What is another evaluation of the types of LTM? (same or different)

Answer 9

• Episodic memory is a specialised subcategory of semantic memory
• Some with amnesia have a functioning semantic memory alongside a damaged episodic memory
• Not possible to have a functioning episodic memory with a damages semantic memory
• Some people with Alzheimer’s disease could form a new episodic memories but not semantic memories