Memory - Different types of Long term memory

Question 1

What is semantic memory ?

Answer 1

Memory of facts, general knowledge and concepts

Question 2

What is episodic memory ?

Answer 2

Memory of events, key dates and personal memories

Question 3

What is Procedural memory ?

Answer 3

memory of skills and actions.

For example, riding a bike or driving a car.

Question 4

Is semantic memory time stamped ?

Answer 4

No

Question 5

Is episodic memory time stamped ?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

Is episodic memory conscious ?

Answer 6

Yes

Question 7

What happens if you try to explain a procedural memory ?

Answer 7

It becomes difficult to do.

Question 8

wny is clinical evidence a strength ?

• HM and Wearing*
• amnesia*

Answer 8

Support from people with amnesia. (Wearing and HM).
HM displayed normal functioning semantic memory, but impaired in their episodic memory.
Wearing was a musician - could play piano but couldn’t remember learning to play. Therefore impaired episodic memory but functioning procedural.

Question 9

what does clinical evidence suggest ?

Answer 9

Both cases HM and Wearing support the idea of separate LTM types.

Question 10

Neuroimaging

• evidence from brain scans*
• Tulving*

Answer 10

Tulving (1994) asked participants to complete tasks whilst scanning their brain with a PET scanner.

Question 11

Neuroimaging
Tulving
What did Tulving find ?

Answer 11

They found semantic memories involved the left prefrontal cortext whilst episodic memories involved the right prefrontal cortext.

Question 12

Neuroimaging
Tulving
What does this support ?

Answer 12

This supports Tulving’s theory as it shows there is a physical reality to the different LTM stores.

Question 13

Neuroimaging

has there been further support

Answer 13

The findings have been confirmed many times in later research, further supporting the validity of the finding.

Question 14

Real life application

What does understanding the different types allow ?

Answer 14

Understanding different types of memory allow for the development of helpful real world applications.

Question 15

Real life application

Belleville (2006)

Answer 15

compared the performance of older people suffering with a mild cognitive impairment who received memory training with that of a control group who did not.

Question 16

Real life application
Belleville (2006)
Findings

Answer 16

it was found that participants in the experimental group performed better on a test of episodic memory

Question 17

Real life application
Belleville (2006)
what does this suggest ?

Answer 17

this suggests that being able to identify different types of LTM can provide psychologists with the opportunity to improve people’s lives through devising appropriate treatments.