Long Term Memory

Question 1

What is Episodic memory?

Answer 1

Events and things that happened in our lives
e.g what you had for breakfast today

Question 2

What is Semantic memory?

Answer 2

Stores our knowledge of the world
e.g what and orange taste like

Question 3

What is Procedural memory?

Answer 3

Memories for actions and skills, how we do things
e.g driving a car

Question 4

What type of LTM is time stamped?

Answer 4

Episodic memories are time stamped, you remember when they happened and how they relate in time

Question 5

Are sematic memories time stamped?

Answer 5

They are not time stamped, they are less personal than Episodic memories and are generally facts we all know

Question 6

What LTM store do you have to make an effort to recall?

Answer 6

Episodic memories require a conscious effort to be recalled

Question 7

What LTM store occurs without conscious recall?

Answer 7

Procedural memory recall occurs without awareness or effort, they are automatic with practice

Question 8

One strength of types LTM is..

Answer 8

Supporting case study evidence

• Clinical studies of amnesia ( HM and Clive Wearing) showed both had difficulty recalling events that had happened to them in their pasts (episodic memories)

-But their semantic memories were relatively unaffected, HM knew what a dog was, Procedural memories were also still intact, Clive still played the piano

• Supporting the view that there are different types of memory stores in LTM because one store can be damaged but the others are unaffected

Question 9

One limitation of types of LTM is…

Answer 9

Conflicting findings about types of LTM and brain areas

• Buckner & Peterson (1996) reviewed research findings and concluded that semantic memory is located in the left prefrontal cortex and episodic within the right prefrontal cortex

-Other studies (Tulving) have found that semantic memory was associated with the right prefrontal cortex and the reverse for episodic memory

• This challenges any neurophysiological evidence to support types of memory as there is poor agreement on where each type might be located

Question 10

Another strength is..

Answer 10

Helping people with memory problems

-Memory loss in old age is specific to episodic memory - it is harder to recall memories of recent experiences although past episodic memories are intact

• Belleville 2006 devised an intervention for older people targeting episodic memory which improved their memory compared to the control group
• This shows that distinguishing between types of LTM allows specific treatment to be developed