Memory: 3 Types of LTM Flashcards
Who created the idea of there being 3 types of LTM?? (and when)
Tulving in 1985
Believed that MSM view of LTM was too simplistic and inflexible
What are the 3 types of LTM??
- Episodic
- Semantic
- Procedural
What are Episodic memories??
Time-stamped memory of events like locations and people involved.
Recalled consciously with effort
What are Semantic memories??
Memories of knowledge of the world and facts
Recalled consciously, not time-stamped, constantly added to
What are Procedural memories??
Memories on how to do things (like writing and reading)
Recalled without conscious
Difficult to explain to others
What is Flashbulb Memory??
Detailed and vivid memory of an event that’s stored after one occasion and lasts a lifetime.
Often life-changing events (births, death & historical events like 911)
Usually emotional arousal when memory is first encoded & it makes memory particularly vivid
What is the clinical evidence supporting the existence of the different types of LTM??
Clive Wearing case study
- Brain infection
- Episodic memory impaired (didn’t recognise wife whenever she left room for a few mins and then came back)
- Semantic memory unaffected
- Procedural memory unaffected (could still read music)
Weakness: Case study weaknesses
What is the neuroimaging evidence for the existence of the 3 types of LTM??
Tulving got ppts to perform memory tasks whilst using PET scan to scan brains.
- Left prefrontal cortex used to recall semantic memories
- Right prefrontal cortex used to recall episodic memories
What is the real-life application of the 3 types of LTM??
Belleville (2006):
- Improved episodic memory in old people with mild cognitive impairment
- Trained ppts performed better than control on a test of episodic memory
- Ability to distinguish between types of LTM allows for specific treatment to be developed
What is a disadvantage of the 3 types of LTM??
Clinical research can’t be 100% valid as it varies from person to person. it can’t be known what that person’s memory would have been like before the accident (Clive Wearing)
