Lesson 7: Types of Long-Term Memory

Question 1

What are the three types of Long-term memory?

Answer 1

1. Episodic
2. Semantic
3. Procedural

Question 2

What is EPISODIC memory?

Answer 2

your memory for EVENTS
e.g recollection of your first day of school, last birthday

Question 3

What are the THREE elements of episodic memory
(HINT: specific, context, emotions)

Answer 3

1. SPECIFIC details of the event
   2.CONTEXT of the event
2. EMOTIONS you were feeling at the time

Question 4

What part of the brain are episodic memories stored?

Answer 4

HIPPOCAMPUS

Question 5

What is SEMANTIC memory?

Answer 5

memory for FACTS + general knowledge

Question 6

What else may semantic memory relate to?

Answer 6

-functions of an object
-what behaviour is appropriate to use in a certain situation
-abstract concepts e.g mathematics and language

Question 7

What do semantic memories begin as?

Answer 7

EPISODIC memories

Question 8

Why do semantic memories begin as episodic?

Answer 8

we acquire knowledge based on PERSONAL experiences

Question 9

How do episodic memories become SEMANTIC?

Answer 9

Memory loses its ASSOCIATION to a particular event and becomes GENERALISED

Question 10

What part of the brain are semantic memories stored

Answer 10

TEMPORAL lobe

Question 11

What is procedural memory

Answer 11

memory concerned with motor skills and actions

Question 12

How are procedural memories acquired

Answer 12

acquired through REPETITION

Question 13

Why are we less aware of procedural memories

Answer 13

they have become AUTOMATIC and UNAVAILABLE of conscious introspection

Question 14

What happens if we think too much about procedural memories

Answer 14

prevents us from carrying them out.
e.g if you think too much about riding a bike it will cause you to lose your balance

Question 15

Why is it important that procedural memories are AUTOMATIC

Answer 15

so we can focus our attention on other tasks whilst performing these everyday motor skills

Question 16

Where are procedural memories stored?

Answer 16

in the CEREBELLUM

Question 17

State one POSITIVE evaluation of LTM
(Hint: Amnesia)

Answer 17

Evidence for the distinction between EPISODIC/SEMANTIC and PROCEDURAL memory has come from research=patients with amnesia

Patients with amnesia= unable to store NEW episodic or semantic memories

HOWEVER, procedural memory=largely unaffected

Question 18

State a POSITIVE evaluation of LTM
(Hint: brain scans+ recall)

Answer 18

Scientific evidence captured from brain scans SUPPORTS idea of DIFFERENT types of LTM.

E.g when asking patients to RECALL different types of information, different areas of the brain were shown to be active on an fMRI.

Episodic=hippocampus
Semantic= temporal lobe
Procedural= cerebellum

Question 19

State a POSITIVE evaluation of LTM
(Hint: Clive wearing)

Answer 19

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 still intact (e.g. he can still play the piano)

Question 20

State a NEGATIVE evaluation of LTM
(Hint: individual case studies)

Answer 20

Research into the different types of LTM have typically been conducted on INDIVIDUAL PATIENTS (e.g clive wearing and HM)

Although case studies are highly detailed and provide A LOT of information, they are ISOLATED CASES of one individual

It would be inappropriate to assume that everyone’s LTM is formed in the same way-> findings cannot be generalised to WIDER population