Explanation Of LTM, Episodic And Semantic : Tulving 1972 Flashcards
What does the theory propose roughly
It identifies that the LTM is split into the two stores: episodic and semantic
This is known as declarative memories
What did Tulving propose?
The LTM could be divided into two memory stores, episodic memory and semantic memory
While these two forms of memory are separate…
They do not necessarily operate completely independently
How do semantic and episodic memory differ?
In how they operate and the types of information they process
What are semantic memories?
- semantic memories are more located in the frontal and temporal cortexes
- like episodic memory, semantic memory is also a type of ‘declarative’ (explicit, consciously recalled) memory
- cognitive memories (meaning we give to things)
- general knowledge / factual memories
- however, the conscious recall here is of facts that have meaning as opposed to the recall of past life events associated with episodic memory. For instance , recalling that you listen to music with your ears does not require knowing when or where you first learned this fact
What are episodic memories?
- they are located in the hippocampus
- it refers to any events that can be reported from a persons life
- this covers information such as time, places involved eg zoo
- it is a type of ‘declarative memory’ ie it can be explicitly inspected and recalled consciously. It can be split further into the autobiographical episodic memory (memories of specific episodes of ones life) and experimental episodic memory (where learning a fact has been associated with a memory of the specific life episode when it was learned )
- flashbulb memories are detailed autobiographical episodic memories that were stored permanently in the LTM when they are first learned, often because they were emotional or historical importance in that person’s life (eg birth or a death)
Give examples of semantic memories
Knowing how to ride a bike after ten years, knowing how many cm are in a metre, London is the capital of England
Give examples of episodic memory
Where were you when you found out about COVID lockdown, first day at college, remembering what happened on Christmas Day
How is forming a new episodic memory affected by information in the semantic memory ?
A memory must pass through the semantic memory before it can be cemented into the LTM as an episodic memory. Episodic memories are encoded through cues that overlap the memories themselves and these cues aid retrieval. Memory failure therefore is not about decay but failure to retrieve
How does a gradual transition from episodic to semantic take place?
In which episodic memory reduces in sensitivity and association to particular regents so that the information can be generalised as semantic memory
What is time referencing?
Tulving believed that episodic memory what is dependent on time referencing: memories about events that happened to you, are linked to the time in which they occurred. For example, recalling your first day at school is links to the date this event occurred.
However, semantic memory was detached from any temporal link , it’s factual information could be recalled without reference to when it was learned. For example, you can recall that Paris is the capital city of France, without remembering when and where you learn that fact.
Spatial referencing
Input into episodic memories continuous as we expect a whole episode in some temporal frame of reference, such as experiencing a birthday party, where are semantic memory can be and put in a fragmented way. We can peace factual information that has been learnt a different points in time.
Are the stores interrelated
Semantic memory can operate independently of episodic memory. We do not need to always remember how when and where we learned the information, however, episodic is unlikely to operate without semantic memory, as we need to be able to draw previous memory of objects, people and events that occur in order to understand them.. they overlap, but they can be treated as separate independent stores.
Retrieval
When creating an episodic memory, we will encode retrieval cues for the environmental(context dependent) or emotional (state dependent)
If these cues are present as retrieval. We are more likely to record more detail about episodic memory. We want to remember..
However, semantic memory does not seem to be depending on the context in which is learned. Retrieval from semantic memory can be based on inferences, annualisation, and rational, logical thought. Travel from semantic memory, leave the memory trace, relatively unchanged from its original form, so we can we call a fact without interfering with that knowledge.
How do we know both semantic and episodic are declarative memory ?
Tests that assess declarative memory Autant explicit memory test because they require an explicit description or report of knowledge from memory. Declarative memory is highly flexible involving the Association of multiple pieces of information to unified memory of representation.
FOR SEMANTIC MEMORY SAY (A01)
What is it?
Encoding?
Retrieval of this type of memory
Forgetting
- knowledge and facts of words and symbols mean. Mental encyclopaedia
- acoustic encoding, not organised like episodic, but memories can be encoded from episodic memory
- retrieval can occur without learning. Understanding the rules behind the concept is enough. Doesnt rely on cues, that can be used
- memory trace is strong and less susceptible to transformation 2+2 = 4 and will always remain the same
for EPISODIC MEMORY SAY (A01)
What is it?
Encoding?
Retrieval of this type of memory
Forgetting
- memory of personal events, mental diary of our life events
- perceptionally encoded using forms of encoding. Stored in terms of temporal links (when) and spatial links (where)
- retrieval using cues which are encoded at the point of learning, use prior knowledge to access the memory
- forgetting due to retrieval cue failure. Memories can be changed / distorted in content as linked to previous memories
Apply case studies for evidence
- Clive wearing supports Tulving’s ideas of different types of LTM. He had damage caused to his hippocampus so shouldn’t have any LTM, but was able to play the piano and remembered his wife. This verifies that LTM is split into semantic and episodic memories
- brain damaged patients provide good evidence. KF had impairment to the LTM and was unable to recall personal events but had a good memory for factual information which supports the distinctions between the two stores
- however, case studies of brain damage patients also criticise the theory, as HM and Clive Wearing were both able to learn skills and it was found that maybe there was a third store called procedural memory which the theory did not consider
EVALUATE THE MODEL (each) & (sew)
EVIDENCE : clive wearing
He had damaged caused to his hippocampus so he shouldn’t have any LTM, but was able to play the piano and remembered his wife
This verifies that LTM is split into semantic and episodic memories
APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS TO SOCIETY : helps in eye witness testimonies during an investigation
Witnesses are given cues or prompts to identify suspects (eg showing pictures to aid retrieval)
However episodic memory can be distorted or manipulated which informs the police to bare in mind that all verbal evidence / witness testimonies may not be 100% accurate
Episodic memory is prone to distortion so they could get it wrong
OR
Revision helps for students
Your episodic memories are specific to the time and place you’ve encoded them which is lesson NOT exam hall
Semantic knowledge can be recalled anywhere without needing cue however to encode things semantically you must understand them
COMPARISONS AND CREDIBILITY: tulving’s explanation of LTM shows that it is 2 stores instead of 4 but it doesnt account for any interrelationship of continuity between each system
MSM shows that LTM as one store which is followed from the STM whereas Tulving proves it can be split into episodic and semantic memory. They work together when given an episodic memory task, such as learning a list of words have semantic features and episodic reference.
Evidence from case studies such as KF proves memories from personal events is separate memories to factual information learnt. The only issue with this is that it makes research into separate memory stores problematic because they cannot be studied in absolute isolation from one another
HOW GOOD IS THE RESEARCH: its reliable
PET scans are apart of a standardised procedure
It increases reliability because it can be repeated on other ppts to compare brain activity whilst recalling episodic & semantic memories
Clive Wearing
After brain damage he retained some memory abilities but lost other because of different types of memory are stored differently in the brain.
Remembered how to play the piano but forgot the name of his own children + no memory of his wedding
Ability of playing the piano shows procedural memory.
So he has semantic knowledge but no episodic memory (personal memories) so they’re separate components. However playing piano could be a procedural memory
HM
Cannot remember new facts but can form new procedural memories (he suffered severe memory loss following a brain operation to reduce epileptic seizures)
He did a task of drawing a star by guiding your hand through a reflection in the mirror . He did this every day and his drawing improved indicating that he’s learning although he denied every day that he had done the task before
So maybe there’s a third store called procedural memory which the theory did not consider
8 mark essay example
INTRO : declarative memory (consciously recalled)
1: A01- episodic memories (memories personal experience, located in the hippocampus)
A03- PS damaged her hippocampus not cortices surrounding it, cannot recall past experiences but not facts (strength supports location)
A03- case studies - unique - idiographic low generalisability - not representative in memory for all
2: A01- semantic memories - explain what’s they are. Location - frontal / temporal cortices
A03- wheeler et al - PET scans, different areas are active (so separate stores used/ KF case study )
A03- PET scans - objective + subjective (strength increases support Tulving)
3: A01- procedural memories
A03- HM was able to learn new skills even though he couldn’t remember new facts, so it proves there’s a third store: procedural memory (drawing star reflection in mirror)
A03- individuals with dyslexia could disprove this as they dont tend to improve with their condition and learn to “read better”
