L7 - Types of Long Term Memory Flashcards
what are the 3 TYPES OF LONG TERM MEMORY?
1) EPISODIC (explicit - CONSCIOUS)
2) SEMANTIC (explicit - CONSCIOUS)
3) PROCEDURAL (implicit - UNCONSCIOUS)
what is EPISODIC MEMORY?
EPSIODIC MEMORY is your memory for EVENTS, e.g your RECOLLECTION of YOUR FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, A FAMILY HOLIDAY, YOUR LAST BIRTHDAY etc.
what are the 3 ELEMENTS of EPISODIC MEMORIES?
1) SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE EVENT
2) THE CONTEXT OF THE EVENT
3) THE EMOTIONS YOU WERE FEELING AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT
where are EPISODIC MEMORIES STORED?
EPISODIC MEMORIES are STORED in the HIPPOCAMPUS
what is SEMANTIC MEMORY?
SEMANTIC MEMORY is your MEMORY for FACTS and KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORLD, e.g that the capital of England is London.
SEMANTIC MEMORIES also relate to things such as the FUNCTIONS OF AN OBJECT, what BEHAVIOUR IS APPROPRIATE IN A CERTAIN SITUATION, as well as ABSTRACT CONCEPS such as MATHEMATICS AND LANGUAGE
how are SEMANTIC MEMORIES MADE?
SEMANTIC MEMORIES BEGIN AS EPISODIC MEMORIES because we ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.
There is a GRADUAL TRANSITION FROM EPISODIC MEMORY TO SEMANTIC MEMORY when MEMORY SLOWLY LOSES ITS ASSOCIATION to PARTICULAR EVENTS and is GENERALISED.
However, sometimes people can have a STRONG RECOLLECTION of WHEN AND WHERE THEY LEARNED A PARTICULAR FACT.
where are SEMANTIC MEMORIES STORED?
SEMANTIC MEMORIES are STORED IN THE TEMPORAL LOBE
what is PROCEDURAL MEMORY?
PROCEDURAL MEMORY (sometimes referred to as MUSCLE MEMORY) is CONCERNED WITH MOTOR SKILLS AND ACTIONS, such as KNOWING HOW TO DRIVE or READ.
how are PROCEDURAL MEMORIES typically acquired?
PROCEDURAL MEMORIES are TYPICALLY ACQUIRED THROUGH PRACTICE and REPETITION and seem to be MORE RESISTANT TO FORGETTING or AMNESIA than other types of LTM.
why are we LESS AWARE OF PROCEDURAL MEMORIES?
We are LESS AWARE OF PROCEDURAL MEMORIES because they have BECOME AUTOMATIC and are UNAVAILABLE FOR CONSCIOUS INSPECTION (unlike EPISODIC AND SEMANTIC MEMORIES) making it DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN THEM VERBALLY
why is it IMPORTANT THAT PROCEDURAL MEMORIES ARE AUTOMATIC?
Often, if you think about PROCEDURAL MEMORIES it PREVENTS YOU FROM CARRYING THEM OUT, e.g if you really think about RIDING A BIKE, you will PROBABLY LOSE YOUR BALANCE.
It is IMPORANT THAT PROCEDURAL MEMORIES are AUTOMATIC so that we can FOCUS OUR ATTENTION on OTHER TASKS WHILE PERFORMING THESE EVERYDAY SKILLS
where are PROCEDURAL MEMORIES STORED?
PROCEDURAL MEMORIES ARE STORED in the CEREBELLUM
+ RESEARCH ON AMNESIA PATIENTS (EVALUATING TYPES OF LTM)
+ evidence for the DISTINCTION BETWEEN EPISODIC/SEMANTIC and PROCEDURAL MEMORY has COME FROM RESEARCH on PATIENTS WITH AMNESIA.
Typically patients with AMNESIA are UNABLE TO STORE NEW EPISODIC or SEMANTIC MEMORIES but their PROCEDURAL MEMORY appears to be LARGELY UNAFFECTED
+ BRAIN SCANS (EVALUATING TYPES OF LTM
+ scientific evidence CAPTURED FROM BRAIN SCANS supports the view that there ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LTM.
E.g when ASKING PPs to RECALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFORMATION, DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE BRAIN are shown to be ACTIVE ON AN fMRI SCAN.
EPISODIC MEMORIES are ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIPPOCAMPUS, SEMANTIC MEMORIES are ASSOCIATED WITH THE TEMPORAL LOBE and PROCEDURAL MEMORIES with the CEREBELLUM
+ CLIVE WEARING CASE STUDY (EVALUATING TYPES OF LTM)
+ CASE STUDIES OF BRAIN DAMAGED PATIENTS offer support for the DIFFERENT TYPES OF LTM.
E.g CLIVE WEARING is a man who SUFFERED FROM A VIRAL INFECTION which DAMAGED HIS HIPPOCAMPUS.
He has NO EPISODIC MEMORY and CANNOT FORM NEW SEMANTIC MEMORIES.
However, his PROCEDURAL MEMORY is INTACT (can still play the piano)
